coughing

n 1: the act of exhaling air suddenly with a noise [syn: {cough}]

2: sudden expulsion of air from the lungs that clears the air

passages; a common symptom of upper respiratory infection

or bronchitis or pneumonia or tuberculosis [syn: {cough}]

coupling

The degree to which components depend

on one another. There are two types of coupling, "tight" and

"loose". Loose coupling is desirable for good {software

engineering} but tight coupling may be necessary for maximum

performance. Coupling is increased when the data exchanged

between components becomes larger or more complex.

(1996-08-01)