modals

Noun (1)

modal (plural modals)

1. A modal (etymology 1, adjective sense 4) proposition.
2. A modal (etymology 1, adjective sense 2) form, notably a modal auxiliary.
3. A modal verb.
   • Using the same type of distributional criterion, we could argue that only a Verb (in its base form) can occur in the position marked — in (23) below to complete the sentence:
     (23) They/it can —
     [...]
     Conversely, the only type of word which could be used to begin a three-word sentence such as (25)...1988, Andrew Radford, Transformational Grammar: A First Course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 61
4. A modal (etymology 1, adjective sense 7) window, one that cannot be closed until a decision is made.
   • Modal screen elements are subtrees which, when activated, disable all elements external to them. Examples of modals are yes-no message boxes and the application itself.1996, OOPSLA '96: Conference on Object-Oriented Programming Systems, Languages, and Applications, volume 31, numbers 10-12

Noun (2)

modal (uncountable)

1. (fabric) A semi-synthetic fabric, a very soft kind of rayon textile made from beech tree pulp and processed with chemicals.

See all 14 meanings of modal