normal

normal
    adj 1: conforming with or constituting a norm or standard or
           level or type or social norm; not abnormal; "serve wine
           at normal room temperature"; "normal diplomatic
           relations"; "normal working hours"; "normal word order";
           "normal curiosity"; "the normal course of events" [ant:
           {abnormal}, {unnatural}]
    2: in accordance with scientific laws [ant: {paranormal}]
    3: being approximately average or within certain limits in e.g.
       intelligence and development; "a perfectly normal child"; "of
       normal intelligence"; "the most normal person I've ever met"
       [ant: {abnormal}]
    4: forming a right angle
    n 1: something regarded as a normative example; "the convention
         of not naming the main character"; "violence is the rule
         not the exception"; "his formula for impressing visitors"
         [syn: {convention}, {normal}, {pattern}, {rule}, {formula}]
    

Normal \Nor"mal\ (n[^o]r"mal), a. [L. normalis, fr. norma rule,
   pattern, carpenter's square; prob. akin to noscere to know;
   cf. Gr. gnw`rimos well known, gnw`mwn gnomon, also,
   carpenter's square: cf. F. normal. See {Known}, and cf.
   {Abnormal}, {Enormous}.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. According to an established norm, rule, or principle;
      conformed to a type, standard, or regular form; performing
      the proper functions; not abnormal; regular; natural;
      analogical.
      [1913 Webster]

            Deviations from the normal type.      --Hallam.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Geom.) According to a square or rule; perpendicular;
      forming a right angle; as, a line normal to the base.
      Specifically: Of or pertaining to a normal.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Chem.) Standard; original; exact; typical. Specifically:
      (a) (Quantitative Analysis) Denoting a solution of such
          strength that every cubic centimeter contains the same
          number of milligrams of the element in question as the
          number of its molecular weight.
      (b) (Chem.) Denoting certain hypothetical compounds, as
          acids from which the real acids are obtained by
          dehydration; thus, normal sulphuric acid and normal
          nitric acid are respectively {S(OH)6}, and {N(OH)5}.
      (c) (Organ. Chem.) Denoting that series of hydrocarbons in
          which no carbon atom is bound to more than two other
          carbon atoms; as, normal pentane, hexane, etc. Cf.
          {Iso-}.
          [1913 Webster]

   {Normal equations} (Method of Least Squares), a set of
      equations of the first degree equal in number to the
      number of unknown quantities, and derived from the
      observations by a specified process. The solution of the
      normal equations gives the most probable values of the
      unknown quantities.

   {Normal group} (Geol.), a group of rocks taken as a standard.
      --Lyell.

   {Normal place} (of a planet or comet) (Astron.), the apparent
      place in the heavens of a planet or comet at a specified
      time, the place having been determined by a considerable
      number of observations, extending perhaps over many days,
      and so combined that the accidental errors of observation
      have largely balanced each other.

   {Normal school}, a school whose methods of instruction are to
      serve as a model for imitation; an institution for the
      training of teachers.
      [1913 Webster]

   Syn: {Normal}, {Regular}, {Ordinary}.

   Usage: Regular and ordinary are popular terms of well-known
          signification; normal has now a more specific sense,
          arising out of its use in science. A thing is normal,
          or in its normal state, when strictly conformed to
          those principles of its constitution which mark its
          species or to the standard of a healthy and natural
          condition. It is {abnormal} when it departs from those
          principles.
          [1913 Webster]
    

Normal \Nor"mal\ (n[^o]r"mal), n. [Cf. F. normale, ligne
   normale. See {Normal}, a.]
   1. (Geom.) Any perpendicular.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Geom.) A straight line or plane drawn from any point of a
      curve or surface so as to be perpendicular to the curve or
      surface at that point.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: The term normal is also used to denote the distance
         along the normal line from the curve to the axis of
         abscissas or to the center of curvature.
         [1913 Webster]
    

Normal, IL (town, FIPS 53234)
  Location: 40.51737 N, 88.99941 W
  Population (1990): 40023 (12300 housing units)
  Area: 31.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
  Zip code(s): 61761
    

Normal, IL -- U.S. town in Illinois
   Population (2000):    45386
   Housing Units (2000): 15683
   Land area (2000):     13.618924 sq. miles (35.272851 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.062083 sq. miles (0.160793 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    13.681007 sq. miles (35.433644 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            53234
   Located within:       Illinois (IL), FIPS 17
   Location:             40.512189 N, 88.988701 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     61761
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Normal, IL
    Normal
    

227 Moby Thesaurus words for "normal":
      academe, academia, accepted, according to Hoyle, air line,
      all there, alma mater, appropriate, arranged, average, axis,
      azimuth circle, balance, balanced, banal, beeline, besetting,
      bourgeois, businesslike, center, central, characteristic, chord,
      clearheaded, clearminded, college, college of engineering, common,
      commonplace, community college, compos mentis, condign,
      conformable, conformist, consuetudinary, conventional, correct,
      current, customary, decent, decorous, degree-granting institution,
      diagonal, diameter, direct line, directrix, distinctive,
      distinguishing, dominant, due, edge, epidemic, established,
      everyday, exemplary, familiar, fit, fitting, formal,
      four-year college, garden, garden-variety, general, generality,
      generally accepted, golden mean, good, graduate school,
      great-circle course, habitual, happy medium, harmonious, healthy,
      healthy-minded, in hand, institute of technology, intermediary,
      intermediate, ivied halls, journalism school, junior college,
      juste-milieu, kosher, law school, lucid, mean, medial, median,
      medical school, mediocre, mediocrity, medium, mentally sound,
      methodical, middle, middle course, middle ground, middle point,
      middle position, middle state, middle-class, middle-of-the-road,
      middling, midpoint, moderate, multiversity, natural, naturalistic,
      naturistic, nice, no great shakes, norm, normal school, normative,
      obtaining, of sound mind, ordered, orderly, ordinary,
      orthodiagonal, orthodox, orthogonal, orthometric, pandemic, par,
      perpendicular, plastic, plumb, popular, postgraduate school,
      predominant, predominating, prescribed, prescriptive, prevailing,
      prevalent, proper, quintessential, radius, radius vector, rampant,
      rational, realistic, reasonable, received, rectangular, regnant,
      regular, regulation, reigning, rife, right, right and proper,
      right angle, right line, right-angle, right-angled, right-angular,
      righteous, rightful, routine, rule, ruling, run, run-of-mine,
      run-of-the-mill, running, sample, sane, sane-minded,
      school of communications, school of education, secant, seemly,
      segment, sensible, set, shortcut, side, sound, sound-minded,
      stable, standard, steady, stereotyped, stock, straight,
      straight course, straight line, straight stretch, straightaway,
      streamline, suburban, suitable, symmetrical, systematic, tangent,
      time-honored, together, traditional, transversal, true to form,
      true to type, two-year college, typal, typic, typical,
      unexceptional, uniform, universal, university, university college,
      unnoteworthy, unremarkable, unspectacular, upright, usual, varsity,
      vector, vertical, vertical circle, via media, well-ordered,
      well-regulated, wholesome, widespread, wonted