analogue
    adj 1: of a circuit or device having an output that is
           proportional to the input; "analogue device"; "linear
           amplifier" [syn: analogue, analog, linear] [ant:
           digital]
    n 1: something having the property of being analogous to
         something else [syn: analogue, analog, parallel]

Analogue \An"a*logue\ (?; 115), n. [F. ?, fr. Gr. ?.]
   1. That which is analogous to, or corresponds with, some
      other thing.
      [1913 Webster]

            The vexatious tyranny of the individual despot meets
            its analogue in the insolent tyranny of the many.
                                                  --I. Taylor.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Philol.) A word in one language corresponding with one in
      another; an analogous term; as, the Latin "pater" is the
      analogue of the English "father."
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Nat. Hist.)
      (a) An organ which is equivalent in its functions to a
          different organ in another species or group, or even
          in the same group; as, the gill of a fish is the
          analogue of a lung in a quadruped, although the two
          are not of like structural relations.
      (b) A species in one genus or group having its characters
          parallel, one by one, with those of another group.
      (c) A species or genus in one country closely related to a
          species of the same genus, or a genus of the same
          group, in another: such species are often called
          representative species, and such genera,
          representative genera. --Dana.
          [1913 Webster]

analogue

    (US: "analog") A description of a continuously
   variable signal or a circuit or device designed to handle such
   signals.  The opposite is "discrete" or "digital".

   Analogue circuits are much harder to design and analyse than
   digital ones because the designer must take into account
   effects such as the gain, linearity and power handling of
   components, the resistance, capacitance and inductance of PCB
   tracks, wires and connectors, interference between signals,
   power supply stability and more.  A digital circuit design,
   especially for high switching speeds, must also take these
   factors into account if it is to work reliably, but they are
   usually less critical because most digital components will
   function correctly within a range of parameters whereas such
   variations will corrupt the outputs of an analogue circuit.

   See also analogue computer.

   (1995-11-14)