St. Peter's Square, Vatican City, Vatican, seen through the Balustrade atop the Basilica. Photo by Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images News/Getty Images. Definition: A balustrade is a row of repeating balusters-small posts that support the upper rail of a railing.Staircases and porches often have balustrades. balustrade is a row of repeating balusters-small posts that support the upper rail of a railing.
dissociation, in chemistry, separation of a substance into atoms or ions. Thermal dissociation occurs at high temperatures. For example, hydrogen molecules (H. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright Â© 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
Dissociation is the disconnection of thoughts and memories from your normal consciousness. This defense mechanism does not erase these thoughts, but rather separates them from your conscious mind. Occasionally these thoughts will resurface when triggered by certain people and places. Mild forms of dissociation sometimes occur but do not mean a mental illness or dissociative disorder is present. Situations where this might occur include: while watching a movie, as a result of sleep deprivation, after a minor accident, while reading a book or as a result of taking laughing gas.