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Possible definitions for alation

auction
Buying and selling of property through open public bidding. Typically, potential purchasers make a succession of increasing bids or offers until the highest (and final) bid is accepted by the auctioneer. At a so-called Dutch auction, by contrast, the seller offers property at successively lower prices until one of his offers is accepted or until the price drops so low as to force the withdrawal of the offered property. Prospective buyers are usually allowed to examine auction items beforehand, and sellers may set a minimum price below which the property will not be sold. Auctions are important in the agricultural markets of many countries, permitting the rapid sale of perishable goods. Other items often sold at auction include artwork and antiques, secondhand goods, and farms and buildings repossessed by banks or the government. Auction selling is also employed on stock and commodity exchanges.


Balaton
Lake, Hungary. Southwest of Budapest, and the largest lake in central Europe, it covers 232 sq mi (601 sq km), with a maximum depth of about 35 ft (11 m). It contains two wildlife reserves. While agriculture remains important in the area, the tourist industry has become significant, and resorts, incl. Sió fok and Balatonfü red, have been developed.


cation
Atom or group of atoms carrying a positive electric charge, indicated by a superscript plus sign after the chemical symbol. Cations in a liquid subjected to an electric field collect at the negative pole (cathode). Examples include sodium (Na+), calcium (Ca2+), and ammonium (NH4+; see ammonia). See also ion.


nation
People whose common identity creates a psychological bond and a political community. Their political identity usually comprises such characteristics as a common language, culture, ethnicity, and history. More than one nation may comprise a state, but the terms nation, state, and country are often used interchangeably. A nation-state is a state populated primarily by the people of one nationality.


platoon
Principal subdivision of a military company, battery, or troop. Usually commanded by a lieutenant, it consists of 25-50 soldiers organized into two or more squads led by noncommissioned officers. The term was first used in the 17th cent. to refer to a small body of musketeers who fired together in a volley alternately with another platoon. It has been used in U.S. military manuals since 1779, and throughout the 19th cent. it meant half a company. It was reintroduced into the British army in 1913. See also military unit.

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