potency

n 1: possession of controlling influence; "the deterrent power of

nuclear weapons"; "the power of his love saved her"

[syn: {power}, {powerfulness}] [ant: {powerlessness}]

2: capacity to produce strong physiological or chemical

effects: "the toxin's potency"; "the strength of the

drinks" [syn: {effectiveness}, {strength}]

3: the inherent capacity for coming into being [syn: {potential},

{potentiality}]

4: the state of being potent; a male's capacity to have sexual

intercourse

latency

1. The time it takes for a {packet} to cross

a network connection, from sender to receiver.

2. The period of time that a frame is held by a network device

before it is forwarded.

Two of the most important parameters of a communications

channel are its latency, which should be low, and its

{bandwidth}, which should be high. Latency is particularly

important for a {synchronous} {protocol} where each packet

must be acknowledged before the next can be transmitted.

(2000-02-27)