OSAC Lexicon
The OSAC Lexicon is a compendium of forensic science terms and definitions. This terminology tool was created to help bring consistency and understanding to the way terms are used by the various forensic science. Use of the OSAC Lexicon does not replace the need to reference the original published source.
The terms and definitions in the OSAC Lexicon come from the published literature, including documentary standards and technical reports. It is continually updated with the latest work from OSAC units, as well as terms from newly published documentary standards and standards elevated to the OSAC Registry.
Gradually terms are evaluated and harmonized by the OSAC to a single term. This process results in an OSAC Preferred Term. An OSAC Preferred Term is a term, along with its definition, that has undergone review and evaluation by the FSSB Terminology Task Group and has been approved by the FSSB. The FSSB recommends that subcommittees use OSAC Preferred Terms when drafting standards.
The OSAC Lexicon should be the primary resource for terminology and used when drafting and editing forensic science standards and other OSAC work products.
first-party conformity assessment activity
conformity assessment activity that is performed by the person or organization that provides or that is the object of conformity assessment (4.2)
Note 1 to entry: The first-, second- and third-party descriptors used to characterize conformity assessment activities in relation to a given object are not to be confused with the legal identification of the relevant parties to a contract.
EXAMPLE:
Activities performed by providers, designers or owners of the object, investors in the object, and advertisers or promoters of the object.
Note 2 to entry: If an activity is performed by an external body acting on behalf of and controlled by a person or organization that provides or is the object, the activity is still called a first-party conformity assessment activity (e.g. internal audits performed by a consultant who is not part of the organization).
First-Pass Metabolism
The portion of an oral dose metabolized in the intestine, gut wall, or liver before reaching the systemic circulation.
Fish Eye Effect
Fixative
Fixed Focal Length Lens, Prime Lens
Fixed Interval Schedule Of Reinforcement
A schedule of reinforcement in which rewards for a correct response occur after a fixed period of time.
fixed pitch
Describes a character set in which all character cells are of equal width (see proportional spacing). (ASTM F1457)
Fixed Ratio Schedule Of Reinforcement
A schedule of reinforcement in which the subject is rewarded after a set number of unrewarded correct responses.
fixing film
Clear plastic sheet with a pressure sensitive adhesive layer. (ANSI/ASB Std 044)
Flame
A body or stream of gaseous material involved in the combustion process and emitting radiant energy at specific wavelength bands determined by the combustion chemistry of the fuel. In most cases, some portion of the emitted radiant energy is visible to the human eye.
Flame
A hot, usually luminous zone of gas that is undergoing combustion.
Flame Front
The flaming leading edge of a propagating combustion reaction zone.
Flameover
The condition where unburned fuel (pyrolysate) from the originating fire has accumulated in the upper layer to a sufficient concentration (i.e., at or above the lower flammable limit) that it ignites and burns. This can occur without ignition of, or prior to the ignition of, other fuels separate from the origin.
Flammable
Capable of burning with a flame.
Flammable
Flammable Limit
The upper or lower concentration limit at a specified temperature and pressure of a flammable gas or a vapor of an ignitible liquid and air, expressed as a percentage of fuel by volume that can be ignited.
Flammable Liquid
A liquid that has a closed-cup flash point that is below 37.8C (100F) and a maximum vapor pressure of 2068 mm Hg (40 psia) at 37.8C (100F). (See also 3.3.34, Combustible Liquid.)
Flammable Liquid
Flammable Range
The range of concentrations between the lower and upper flammable limits.
Flash Fire
A fire that spreads by means of a flame front rapidly through a diffuse fuel, such as dust, gas, or the vapors of an ignitible liquid, without the production of damaging pressure.
Flash Point
Flash Point Of A Liquid
The lowest temperature of a liquid, as determined by specific laboratory tests, at which the liquid gives off vapors at a sufficient rate to support a momentary flame across its surface.
Flash Powder
Flash, Flashing
flashing
Excess material from a molding process. (SWGDOC E04)
Flashover
A transition phase in the development of a compartment fire in which surfaces exposed to thermal radiation reach ignition temperature more or less simultaneously and, given sufficient availability of oxygen, fire spreads rapidly throughout the space, resulting in full room involvement or total involvement of the compartment or enclosed space.
Flat Fingerprint
A fingerprint image resulting from the touching of a single finger to a livescan platen orpaper fingerprint card without any rolling motion. Also known as a single-finger plainimpression.
Flatback Paper
flexography
A form of relief printing like letterpress, but using a flexible rubber or resilient photopolymer relief plate(s).
flourish
A writing movement that is designed to be ornamental.
Flow
flow back
An increase in the density of the ink line caused by excess ink running back onto the previous portion of a stroke, occurring as the pen is lifted from the paper.
Fluorescence
fluorescence
A process by which radiant flux of certain wavelengths is absorbed and reradiated nonthermally at other, usually longer, wavelengths. (ANSI/ASB Std 035)
Fluorescence microscope
Focal Length
Focus Variation Microscopy
Surface topography measurement method whereby the sharpness of the surface image (or anotherproperty of the reflected light at optimum focus) in an optical microscope is used to determine thesurface height at each position along the surface.
foil stamping
Various colored foils made of metals or other materials which are typically combined with embossing or debossing, carried on a plastic sheet, and transferred through a stamping or heated die process on to a substrate.
Follicular Tag
Food Drive
The subconscious impulse to work to obtain food.
Footwear
Forensic
OSAC Preferred
related to methods (3.35), techniques and processes used for recovery (3.51), analysis (3.2), interpretation (3.30) and reporting of observations (3.36) and opinions (3.37), which can be used for law enforcement investigations or for legal proceedings
Numbers in the parenthesis refers to additional terms in the standard.
Also referenced in ANSI/ASB Standard 169 Standard for Clinical Veterinary Forensic Examination, ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2011 Update:2015 Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint, Facial & Other Biometric Information. ANSI/National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2011
Forensic (Forensic Science)
The application of science to answer questions of interest to the legal system.
forensic anthropology
The application of specialized knowledge of the human skeleton and its cartilaginous structures, as well as archaeological methods, to assist with medicolegal death investigations.
forensic anthropology scene
Any environment where human remains and material associations, potentially relevant in a medicolegal setting, may be recovered, and where a forensic anthropology or forensic archaeology practitioner is requested to assist a jurisdictional authority.
forensic art
The use of artistic techniques in a medicolegal context for creating composite images, age progressions, and facial approximations to aid in the identification of missing, wanted, or unidentified deceased individuals.
Forensic Audio
forensic autopsy
Autopsy authorized by law and typically performed under the jurisdiction of chief medicolegal officer for criminal justice, civil, and/or public health purposes.
Forensic Cloning
Forensic Dental Age Assessment Practitioner
An individual who provides an assessment of an individual's dental age based upon accepted methodology. Note: The term 'practitioner' will be used instead of 'Forensic Dental age assessment Practitioner' throughout this document as an abbreviated way to describe an individual who provides an assessment of an individual's dental age based upon accepted methodology.