The definitions used in this glossary of terminology either have been provided by the authors of the articles, or have been extracted wholly or in part, or paraphrased from the following sources: The American Medical Association Encyclopedia of Medicine, Charles B. Clayman, MD, Medical Editor, Random House, New York, 1989; Biotechnology from A to Z, 2d Edition, William Bains, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; A Dictionary of Genetics, 6th Edition, Robert C. King and William D. Stansfield, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2002; Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 29th and 30th Editions, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 2000, 2003; Genes VII, Benjamin Lewin, Oxford University Press, New York, New York, 2000; The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, Volumes I and II, Stacey L. Blachford, Ed., Thomson Learning, New York, New York, 2002; The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc., Springfield, Massachusetts, 1997; Molecular Biology of the Cell, 3rd Edition, Bruce Alberts, et al., Garland Publishing, 1994; The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged Edition, 1966; Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1991.

DEFINITION:

weak

1. Lacking strength or vigor; feeble.

2. Not able to sustain or resist much weight, pressure, or strain.

3. Deficient in vigor of mind or character; also, resulting from or indicative of such deficiency.

4. Not supported by truth or logic.

5. Lacking skill or proficiency; also, indicative of a lack of skill or aptitude.

6. Lacking vigor of expression or effect.

7. Of less than usual strength.

8. Not having or exerting authority; also, ineffective, impotent.

9. Of, relating to, or constituting a verb or verb conjugation that forms the past tense and past participle by adding -ed or -d or -t.