vector

One definition of a vector is that of a carrier — it might be an insect like a mosquito that carries and transmits a bacterium or virus, or it might be some agent that carries genetically engineered DNA into a cell.

Considering that the Latin word vector comes from the word vehere, which means "to carry," it's not surprising that the current use of the word also "carries" the same meaning. In fact, in computers, a vector is a method used to propagate a computer virus. However, the word vector is also used in various scientific areas, including mathematics, where it indicates something possessing both size and direction; and aeronautics, where it indicates a projectile's course.

Primary Meanings of

vector

1.n

a straight line segment whose length is magnitude and whose orientation in space is direction

2.n

a variable quantity that can be resolved into component