group, grouping - any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

language system - a system of linguistic units or elements used in a particular language

judicatory, judicial system, judiciary, judicature - the system of law courts that administer justice and constitute the judicial branch of government

economic system, economy - the system of production and distribution and consumption

ecosystem - a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment

hierarchy - a series of ordered groupings of people or things within a system; "put honesty first in her hierarchy of values"

social organisation, social organization, social structure, social system, structure - the people in a society considered as a system organized by a characteristic pattern of relationships; "the social organization of England and America is very different"; "sociologists have studied the changing structure of the family"

dragnet - a system of coordinated measures for apprehending (criminals or other individuals); "caught in the police dragnet"

machinery - a system of means and activities whereby a social institution functions; "the complex machinery of negotiation"; "the machinery of command labored and brought forth an order"

network, web - an interconnected system of things or people; "he owned a network of shops"; "retirement meant dropping out of a whole network of people who had been part of my life"; "tangled in a web of cloth"

nonlinear system - a system whose performance cannot be described by equations of the first degree

subsystem - a system that is part of some larger system

organism - a system considered analogous in structure or function to a living body; "the social organism"

syntax - a systematic orderly arrangement

body - a collection of particulars considered as a system; "a body of law"; "a body of doctrine"; "a body of precedents"

shebang - an entire system; used in the phrase `the whole shebang'

solar system - the sun with the celestial bodies that revolve around it in its gravitational field

water system - a river and all of its tributaries

root system, rootage - a developed system of roots

audio system, sound system - a system of electronic equipment for recording or reproducing sound

communication system - a system for communicating

ADP system, ADPS, automatic data processing system, computer system, computing system - a system of one or more computers and associated software with common storage

containment - (physics) a system designed to prevent the accidental release of radioactive material from a reactor

control system - a system for controlling the operation of another system

data system, information system - system consisting of the network of all communication channels used within an organization

drainage system - a system of watercourses or drains for carrying off excess water

exhaust system, exhaust - system consisting of the parts of an engine through which burned gases or steam are discharged

EDS, explosive detection system - a rapid automatic system to detect plastic explosives in passengers' luggage using X-ray technology and computers; designed for use in airports

ETD, explosive trace detection - a system for screening luggage in airports; an agent passes a swab around or inside luggage and then runs the swab through a machine that can detect trace amounts of explosives

guidance device, guidance system - a system of equipment for automatically guiding the path of a vehicle (especially a missile)

assemblage, hookup - a system of components assembled together for a particular purpose

inertial guidance system, inertial navigation system - a system to control a plane or spacecraft; uses inertial forces

infrastructure, substructure - the basic structure or features of a system or organization

instrumentation, instrumentality - an artifact (or system of artifacts) that is instrumental in accomplishing some end

lockage - a system of locks in a canal or waterway

labyrinth, maze - complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost

mechanical system - a system of elements that interact on mechanical principles

module - a self-contained component (unit or item) that is used in combination with other components

navigational system - a system ithat provides information useful in determining the position and course of a ship or aircraft

electronic network, network - (electronics) a system of interconnected electronic components or circuits

network - a system of intersecting lines or channels; "a railroad network"; "a network of canals"

propulsion system - a system that provides a propelling or driving force

resonator - any system that resonates

scaffolding, staging - a system of scaffolds

security system - (computing) a system that enforces boundaries between computer networks

selsyn, synchro - a system consisting of a generator and a motor so connected that the motor will assume the same relative position as the generator; the generator and the motor are synchronized

shipboard system - a system designed to work as a coherent entity on board a naval ship

solar thermal system - a system that converts sunlight into heat

sprinkler system - a system for extinguishing fires; water from a network of overhead pipes is released through nozzles that open automatically with the rise in temperature

synchromesh - an automotive system for shifting gears in which the gears revolve at the same speed and so shift smoothly

method - a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)

accounting - a system that provides quantitative information about finances

discipline - a system of rules of conduct or method of practice; "he quickly learned the discipline of prison routine" or "for such a plan to work requires discipline";

frame of reference - a system of assumptions and standards that sanction behavior and give it meaning

gambling system - a system of rules for placing bets that is believed to lead to winning; "he has a perfect gambling system at roulette"

government - (government) the system or form by which a community or other political unit is governed; "tyrannical government"

honor system - a system of conduct in which participants are trusted not to take unfair advantage of others; "the students are on the honor system"

logical system, system of logic, logic - a system of reasoning

merit system - the system of employing and promoting civil servants on the basis of ability

point system - a system of evaluation based on awarding points according to rules

spoils system - the system of employing and promoting civil servants who are friends and supporters of the group in power

organon - a system of principles for philosophic or scientific investigations; an instrument for acquiring knowledge

program, programme - a system of projects or services intended to meet a public need; "he proposed an elaborate program of public works"; "working mothers rely on the day care program"

theological system, theology - a particular system or school of religious beliefs and teachings; "Jewish theology"; "Roman Catholic theology"

ethical code, ethic - a system of principles governing morality and acceptable conduct

plan of action - a plan for actively doing something

credit system - a system for allowing people to purchase things on credit

legal system - a system for interpreting and enforcing the laws

pricing system - a system for setting prices on goods or services

promotion system - a system for advancing participants to higher-status positions

body part - any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity

articulatory system - the system of joints in the body

digestive system, gastrointestinal system, systema alimentarium, systema digestorium - the system that makes food absorbable into the body

endocrine system - the system of glands that produce endocrine secretions that help to control bodily metabolic activity

venous blood system, venation - (zoology) the system of venous blood vessels in an animal

immune system - a system (including the thymus and bone marrow and lymphoid tissues) that protects the body from foreign substances and pathogenic organisms by producing the immune response

integumentary system - the skin and its appendages

RES, reticuloendothelial system - a widely distributed system consisting of all the cells able to ingest bacteria or colloidal particles etc, except for certain white blood cells

mononuclear phagocyte system, MPS, system of macrophages - a widely distributed system of free and fixed macrophages derived from bone marrow

muscle system, muscular structure, musculature - the muscular system of an organism

musculoskeletal system - the system of muscles and tendons and ligaments and bones and joints and associated tissues that move the body and maintain its form

nervous system, systema nervosum - the sensory and control apparatus consisting of a network of nerve cells

central nervous system, CNS, systema nervosum centrale - the portion of the vertebrate nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system, systema nervosum periphericum - the section of the nervous system lying outside the brain and spinal cord

genital system, reproductive system - organs and tissues involved in the production and maturation of gametes and in their union and subsequent development as offspring

apparatus urogenitalis, genitourinary apparatus, genitourinary system, systema urogenitale, urinary apparatus, urinary system, urogenital apparatus, urogenital system - the system that includes all organs involved in reproduction and in the formation and voidance of urine

respiratory system, systema respiratorium - the system for taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide; in terrestrial animals this is accomplished by breathing

sensory system - the body's system of sense organs

tract - a system of body parts that together serve some particular purpose

vascular system - the vessels and tissue that carry or circulate fluids such as blood or lymph or sap through the body of an animal or plant

skeletal system, systema skeletale, skeleton, frame - the hard structure (bones and cartilages) that provides a frame for the body of an animal

structure - the complex composition of knowledge as elements and their combinations; "his lectures have no structure"

classification system - a system for classifying things

contrivance - an artificial or unnatural or obviously contrived arrangement of details or parts etc.; "the plot contained too many improbable contrivances to be believable"

coordinate system, frame of reference, reference frame, reference system - a system that uses coordinates to establish position

data structure - (computer science) the organization of data (and its storage allocations in a computer)

design, plan - an arrangement scheme; "the awkward design of the keyboard made operation difficult"; "it was an excellent design for living"; "a plan for seating guests"

distribution, statistical distribution - (statistics) an arrangement of values of a variable showing their observed or theoretical frequency of occurrence

genetic map - graphical representation of the arrangement of genes on a chromosome

lattice - an arrangement of points or particles or objects in a regular periodic pattern in 2 or 3 dimensions

living arrangement - an arrangement to allow people (or ideas) to co-exist

calendar - a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year

matter, substance - that which has mass and occupies space; "an atom is the smallest indivisible unit of matter"

physical chemistry - the branch of chemistry dealing with the physical properties of chemical substances

live body - a living body of an animal or person

methodicalness, orderliness - the quality of appreciating method and system