Definition of BIAS

bias

Plural: biases, biasses

Noun

  • a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation
  • a line or cut across a fabric that is not at right angles to a side of the fabric
  • Inclination towards something.
  • The diagonal line between warp and weft in a woven fabric.
  • A wedge-shaped piece of cloth taken out of a garment (such as the waist of a dress) to diminish its circumference.
  • A voltage or current applied to an electronic device, such as a transistor electrode, to move its operating point to a desired part of its transfer function.
  • The difference between the expectation of the sample estimator and the true population value, which reduces the representativeness of the estimator by systematically distorting it.
  • In the games of crown green bowls and lawn bowls: a weight added to one side of a bowl so that as it rolls, it will follow a curved rather than a straight path; the oblique line followed by such a bowl; the lopsided shape or structure of such a bowl. In lawn bowls, the curved course is caused only by the shape of the bowl. The use of weights is prohibited.
  • A person's favourite member of a K-pop band.

Verb

Verb Forms: biased, biasing, biases, biassed, biassing, biasses

  • To cause to feel or show inclination or prejudice.
  • influence in an unfair way
    • "you are biasing my choice by telling me yours"
  • cause to be biased
  • To place bias upon; to influence.
  • To give a bias to.

Adjective Satellite

  • slanting diagonally across the grain of a fabric
    • "a bias fold"

Adj

  • Inclined to one side; swelled on one side.
  • Cut slanting or diagonally, as cloth.

Adv

  • In a slanting manner; crosswise; obliquely; diagonally.

Examples

  • Our prejudices bias our views.
  • The letter distribution seems to bias the game in favor of vowels.
  • to cut cloth bias

Origin / Etymology

c. 1520 in the sense "oblique line". As a technical term in the game of bowls c. 1560, whence the figurative use (c. 1570).
From Middle French biais, adverbially ("sideways, askance, against the grain") c. 1250, as a noun ("oblique angle, slant") from the late 16th century.
The French word is likely from Old Occitan biais, itself of obscure origin, most likely from Vulgar Latin *biaxius (“with two axes”).

Scrabble Score: 6

bias: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
bias: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
bias: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 7

bias: valid Words With Friends Word