Definition of "vector"

vector

/ˈvɛktə/

noun
plural vectors
1. (mathematics) A directed quantity, one with both magnitude and direction; the signed difference between two points.
  Quotations
  As examples of vector quantities may be mentioned the distance between any two given points, a velocity, a force, an acceleration, angular velocity, intensity of magnetization flux of heat.
  1914, The New Student's Reference Work
2. (mathematics) An ordered tuple representing such.
3. (mathematics) Any member of a (generalized) vector space.
4. (aviation) A chosen course or direction for motion, as of an aircraft.
  Quotations
  I was told to fly out on a vector of 100 degrees to meet a strong plot of aircraft 30 miles from the coast.
  2017, Mark Chambers, Tony Holmes, Nakajima B5N ‘Kate’ and B6N ‘Jill’ Units, page 32
5. (epidemiology) A carrier of a disease-causing agent.
6. (sociology) A person or entity that passes along an urban legend or other meme.
  Quotations
  These days, their primary job is to insist that Facebook is a fun place to share baby photos and sell old couches, not a vector for hate speech, misinformation, and violent extremist propaganda.
  2020 October 12, Andrew Marantz, “Why Facebook Can’t Fix Itself”, in The New Yorker‎
7. (psychology) A recurring psychosocial issue that stimulates growth and development in the personality.
8. The way in which the eyes are drawn across the visual text. The trail that a book cover can encourage the eyes to follow from certain objects to others.
9. (computing, operating systems) A memory address containing the address of a code entry point, usually one which is part of a table and often one that is dereferenced and jumped to during the execution of an interrupt.
10. (programming) A kind of dynamically resizable array.
  Quotations
  To create a vector of students in a class, you will want the vector to be large enough […]
  2004, Jesse Liberty, Bradley L. Jones, Sams Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days, page 694
11. (computer graphics, attributive) A graphical representation using outlines; vector graphics.
12. (molecular biology) A DNA molecule used to carry genetic information from one organism into another.
13. (figurative) Forces, developments, phenomena, processes, systems, etc. which influence the trajectory of history (e.g. imperialism)
verb
third-person singular simple present vectors, present participle vectoring, simple past and past participle vectored
1. To set (particularly an aircraft) on a course toward a selected point.
  Quotations
  […] if love is vectored toward an object and Elinor's here flies toward Marianne, Marianne's in turn toward Willoughby.
  1994, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Tendencies
2. (computing) To redirect to a vector, or code entry point.