bias

noun

• 1 [mass noun] inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair:there was evidence of bias against black applicants the bias towards younger people in recruitment
• a concentration on or interest in one particular area or subject:his work showed a discernible bias towards philosophy
• a systematic distortion of a statistical result due to a factor not allowed for in its derivation.

• 2a direction diagonal to the weave of a fabric:a turquoise silk dress cut on the bias

• 3 Bowls the irregular shape given to one side of a bowl.
• the oblique course taken by a bowl as a result of its irregular shape.

• 4 Electronics a steady voltage, magnetic field, or other factor applied to a system or device to cause it to operate over a predetermined range.

verb (biases, biasing, biased)

• 1cause to feel or show inclination or prejudice for or against someone or something:readers said the paper was biased towards the Conservatives editors were biased against authors from provincial universities

• 2 Electronics give a bias to: bias the valve so that the anode current is normally zero or small