ADC
Abbreviation with 6 meanings
| Stands for | Analog-to-digital converter |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 6 |
| Categories | Science & Engineering, Texting & Internet Slang, Medical |
ADC has six meanings. The most common are Analog-to-digital converter (electronics & electrical) and Attack damage carry (gaming slang); it can also stand for Antibody-drug conjugate, Apparent diffusion coefficient, Automated dispensing cabinet and Average daily census.
Meanings of ADC at a glance
| # | ADC stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Analog-to-digital converter | Science & Engineering › Electronics & Electrical |
| 2 | Attack damage carry | Texting & Internet Slang › Gaming Slang |
| 3 | Antibody-drug conjugate | Medical › Hematology and Oncology |
| 4 | Apparent diffusion coefficient | Medical › Medical Imaging |
| 5 | Automated dispensing cabinet | Medical › Pharmacy |
| 6 | Average daily census | Medical › Hospital |
1. Analog-to-digital converter
Science & Engineering · Electronics & Electrical Abbreviations
Circuit that samples a continuously varying analog signal, such as a voltage from a microphone or sensor, and converts it into digital numbers a processor can handle. ADCs are characterized by resolution in bits and sampling rate.
Example: The 12-bit ADC divides its 3.3 V range into 4,096 steps of about 0.8 millivolts.
The Nyquist-Shannon theorem states that a signal must be sampled at more than twice its highest frequency, which is why CD audio uses 44.1 kHz for sound up to about 20 kHz. Common architectures include successive approximation (SAR), delta-sigma and flash converters. Nearly every microcontroller includes built-in ADC channels.
2. Attack damage carry
Texting & Internet Slang · Gaming Slang Abbreviations
Ranged physical-damage role in League of Legends, usually played in the bottom lane with a support, that becomes the team's main damage source later in the game. Also called "marksman" or "bot laner."
Example: Peel for our ADC, she's the only one doing damage.
"Carry" means the player expected to carry the team to victory once they gain gold and items. Riot Games officially calls the class "marksman," but players still say ADC. Dota 2 uses "carry" or "position 1" for a similar role.
3. Antibody-drug conjugate
Medical · Hematology and Oncology Abbreviations
Targeted cancer drug made of a monoclonal antibody linked to a potent chemotherapy payload, which delivers the toxin mainly to cells expressing the target protein. Examples include trastuzumab deruxtecan, sacituzumab govitecan, enfortumab vedotin and brentuximab vedotin.
Example: HER2-low metastatic breast cancer progressing after chemo: ADC therapy with trastuzumab deruxtecan.
The concept realizes Paul Ehrlich's early 20th-century idea of a "magic bullet." A 2022 trial (DESTINY-Breast04) showed trastuzumab deruxtecan benefited tumors with low HER2 levels, creating the new HER2-low category. Toxicities depend on the payload and include interstitial lung disease, eye problems and neuropathy. In radiology ADC means apparent diffusion coefficient.
4. Apparent diffusion coefficient
Medical · Medical Imaging Abbreviations
Calculated MRI map quantifying water diffusion in each voxel, read alongside diffusion-weighted images. Truly restricted diffusion appears dark on the ADC map, confirming acute stroke or high cellularity, while bright DWI signal with a bright ADC reflects "T2 shine-through" rather than restriction.
Example: Low ADC values in the peripheral zone lesion; PI-RADS 5.
Expressed in square millimeters per second. ADC values feed into prostate MRI scoring and help separate tumor types. Restricted diffusion from a stroke typically normalizes after one to two weeks, a phase called pseudonormalization. In electronics, ADC means analog-to-digital converter.
5. Automated dispensing cabinet
Medical · Pharmacy Abbreviations
Computer-controlled medication storage unit on hospital wards that releases drugs only to authorized staff for patients with active orders, while tracking every transaction. Pyxis and Omnicell are the major brands.
Example: Overrode the ADC for naloxone during the rapid response; pharmacy reviewed it afterward.
"Override" functions let nurses remove drugs before pharmacist review in urgent situations, but overuse has caused serious errors. In 2017 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a nurse used an override to withdraw vecuronium instead of midazolam, a fatal error that led to a criminal conviction in 2022 and renewed ISMP guidance on cabinet safety.
6. Average daily census
Medical · Hospital Abbreviations
Average number of inpatients occupying beds each day over a period, used for staffing, budgeting and capacity planning. Comparing ADC with licensed beds gives the occupancy rate that administrators watch during winter surges.
Example: ADC 28 on a 32-bed unit; overflow plan activated above 30.
Census is typically counted at midnight, so short stays may be missed. Staffing grids often use ADC to set baseline nurse numbers. In oncology ADC means antibody-drug conjugate, and in imaging apparent diffusion coefficient.
Related abbreviations
More electronics & electrical abbreviations
- AC – Alternating current
- AFCI – Arc-fault circuit interrupter
- AM – Amplitude modulation
- AMOLED – Active-matrix organic light-emitting diode
- ASIC – Application-specific integrated circuit
- AWG – American wire gauge
- BGA – Ball grid array
- BJT – Bipolar junction transistor
See all 82 electronics & electrical abbreviations →
More gaming slang abbreviations
- 1V1 – One versus one
- AA – Auto attack
- AD – Attack damage
- ADS – Aim down sights
- AFK – Away from keyboard
- Alt – Alternate character
- Any% – Any percent (speedrun category)
- AOE – Area of effect
See all 145 gaming slang abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.