OSAC Lexicon
The OSAC Lexicon is a compendium of forensic science terms and definitions. This terminology tool was created to help bring consistency and understanding to the way terms are used by the various forensic science. Use of the OSAC Lexicon does not replace the need to reference the original published source.
The terms and definitions in the OSAC Lexicon come from the published literature, including documentary standards and technical reports. It is continually updated with the latest work from OSAC units, as well as terms from newly published documentary standards and standards elevated to the OSAC Registry.
Gradually terms are evaluated and harmonized by the OSAC to a single term. This process results in an OSAC Preferred Term. An OSAC Preferred Term is a term, along with its definition, that has undergone review and evaluation by the FSSB Terminology Task Group and has been approved by the FSSB. The FSSB recommends that subcommittees use OSAC Preferred Terms when drafting standards.
The OSAC Lexicon should be the primary resource for terminology and used when drafting and editing forensic science standards and other OSAC work products.
Wav
A specific implementation of the RIFF file format for audio data.
Waveform Monitor
Wear
Weathering
Weft
Weft (filling)
Welfare
The treatment that a canine receives providing for its physical and mental needs.
Wellman Outsole Cutting Machine
Wet Bone
Bone that still retains its visco-elastic properties, typically due to retention of soft tissue and associated fluids.
Wet Media Film
Wet Origin Impression
Wgs 84 (G873)
WGS 84 is the World Geodetic System of 1984. At 0000 GMT September 30, 1996 (thestart of GPS Week 873), WGS 84 was redefined and was more closely aligned withInternational Earth Rotation Service (IERS) Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) 94. It isnow formally called WGS 84 (G873). WGS 84 (G873) was adopted as the referenceframe for broadcast orbits on January 29, 1997.
Wheel Base
Whelping
Giving birth to a puppy
White Noise
Distractor odors that are naturally occurring in the search environment that are not placed by evaluators, observers or participants. Animal remains that were not placed by someone, holes that were dug by wild animals, feces from other animals, etc. (See natural distractors.)
Wick
Wilderness Search
To locate target odor/scent sources in a rural environment.
Windows Media
There are several proprietary formats developed by Microsoft. Windows Media Video(WMV) was developed for Internet streaming applications. Windows Media Audio(WMA) has four distinct codecs: WMA Pro, WMA Lossless, WMA Voice and theoriginal codec also referred to as WMA. The Advanced Systems Format (.asf) is acontainer format designed for streaming media. The Advanced Stream Redirector(ASX) is a type of XML designed to store a playlist for a multimedia presentation.
Winid
A computer system that uses dental and anthropometric characteristics to rank possiblematches for missing persons and unidentified human remains.
Wipe
Withdrawal
Revocation or cancellation of a statement of conformity.
Wma
Windows Media Audio. This refers to both a Microsoft proprietary audio file format and the audio codecs it uses.WMA can use either lossy or lossless codecs.
Work Copy, Working Copy
Work Plans
An outline of the tasks to be completed as part of the investigation including the order or timeline for completion. Planning the Investigation.
Working Distance
wound ballistics
A subset of terminal ballistics that considers projectile impacts to tissue and tissue simulants.
Woven fabric
Write Block, Write Protect
Write Blocker
writer
The individual who applies handwritten markings with a writing instrument on a substrate.
writing instrument
Any tool used to create handwritten markings on a substrate. Typically used to describe the use of a pen, pencil, crayon, or other marker.
writing instrument
Any tool used to create handwritten markings on a substrate. Typically used to describe the use of a pen, pencil, crayon, or other marker.
writing movement
A pattern of the action of a writing instrument. These movements may be described as garland, arcade, angular, or indeterminable.
writing surface
The underlying plane on which the substrate, or the writing itself, is placed.
Wsq
Acronym for Wavelet Scalar Quantization, a compression algorithm used for 500 ppifriction ridge prints.
X-ray Diffraction (XRD)
X-ray Diffraction Pattern or Diffractogram
X-ray Powder Diffraction
Xml
Extensible Markup Language. A convention for marking up and tagging data forelectronic transmission. An XML package is built from text content marked up with texttags such as . In XML one can create as many tags as needed.These tags describe the type of content they contain rather than formatting or layoutinformation. The types of tags allowed in an XML file are typically defined andconstrained by a specification such as an XML Schema Definition (XSD).
Xml 3D Surface Profile X3P
X3P is an open file format for the exchange of three dimensional surface topography data instandard units. Details are specified in ISO 25178-72.
Y-Str
Short tandem repeat markers found on the Y-chromosome that enable male-specific DNA testing and can be useful in cases involving sexual assault; variations in Y-STRs may be used for distinguishing individuals, and in biological relationship and ancestry testing.
Yarn
Yarn
Yaw
Yield, Expected
Yield, Theoretical
Zoonosis
A disease communicable from vertebrate animals to humans.