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From Queue to Kludge: Computer Vocabulary

Word List with 79 words
By Dictionary.com

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Words in This List

queue

noun

a FIFO-organized sequence of items, as data, messages, jobs, or the like, waiting for action

parse

verb

to analyze a string of characters in order to associate groups of characters with the syntactic units of the underlying grammar

interface

noun

programs designed to communicate information from one system of computing devices or programs to another

application

noun

a type of job or problem that lends itself to processing or solution by computer

compile

verb

to translate from a high-level language into another language, usually a machine language, using a compiler

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routine

noun

a complete set of coded instructions directing a computer to perform a series of operations

latency

noun

the time required to locate the first bit or character in a storage location, expressed as access time minus word time

client

noun

a workstation on a network that gains access to central data files, programs, and peripheral devices through a server

format

noun

the arrangement of data for computer input or output, such as the number and size of fields in a record or the spacing and punctuation of information in a report

portal

noun

a Web site that functions as an entry point to the Internet, as by providing useful content and linking to various sites and features

export

verb

to save documents or data in a format usable by another software program

update

verb

to incorporate new or more accurate information in a database, program or procedure

download

verb

to transfer software, data or character sets from a distant to a nearby computer or from a computer to a peripheral device

noun

a list of options available to a user, as displayed on a screen

digital

adjective

involving numerical digits expressed in a scale of notation to represent discretely all variables occurring in a problem

symbolic

adjective

expressed in characters, usually nonnumeric, that require translation before they can be used

kludge

noun

a software or hardware configuration that, while inelegant, inefficient or patched together, succeeds in solving a specific problem

output

noun

the process of transferring data from internal storage to an external medium

alphanumeric

adjective

a set of characters including letters, numbers, and special characters such as punctuation marks

browser

noun

a software program that allows users to find and read encoded documents in a form suitable for display, such as a Web browser

configure

verb

to put a computer system together by supplying a specific computer with appropriate peripheral devices and connecting them

modem

noun

an electronic device that makes possible the transmission of data to or from a computer via telephone or other communication lines

refresh

verb

to read and write the contents of dynamic storage at intervals in order to avoid loss of data

scroll

verb

to move text up, down or across a display screen, with new text appearing on the screen as old text disappears

upload

verb

to transfer software, data or character sets from a smaller to a larger computer

nest

verb

to place a routine inside another routine that is at a higher hierarchical level

gopher

noun

a protocol for a menu-based system of accessing documents on the Internet; any program that implements this protocol

byte

noun

adjacent bits, usually eight, processed by a computer as a unit; the combination of bits used to represent a particular character

cursor

noun

a movable, sometimes blinking, symbol that indicates the position on a CRT where the next character entered from the keyboard will appear

desktop

noun

the primary display screen of a user interface, on which various icons represent files and programs can be launched

gigabyte

noun

a measure of storage capacity equal to 1 billion (109) bytes

motherboard

noun

a rigid, slotted board upon which other boards that contain the basic circuitry of a computer or of a computer component can be mounted

descriptor

noun

a data item that stores the attributes of some other datum, such a task descriptor

app

noun

an application; application program

housekeeping

noun

system tasks, as initialization and managing peripheral devices, that must be done to permit a computer program to execute properly

Web site

noun

a connected group of pages on the World Wide Web maintained by one person or organization, devoted to a single topic or several closely related topics

interleaving

noun

a method for making data retrieval more efficient by rearranging the sectors on a hard disk so that the they can be read in alternating cycles

firmware

noun

a microprogram stored in ROM, designed to implement a function that had previously been provided in software

domain name

noun

a name consisting of an alphanumeric sequence used as an Internet address to identify the location of particular Web pages

mainframe

noun

a large computer, often the hub of a system serving many users

applet

noun

a small application program that can be called up for use while working in another application

delimiter

noun

a blank space, comma, or other character or symbol that indicates the beginning or end of a character string, word, or data item

stand-alone

adjective

self-contained and able to operate without other hardware or software

compiler

noun

a computer program that translates a program written in a high-level language into another, usually machine, language

real-time

adjective

pertaining to applications in which the computer must respond as rapidly as required by the user or necessitated by the process being controlled

soft copy

noun

computer output displayed on the screen of a video display terminal, as opposed to hard copy

local area network

noun

a system for linking a number of terminals with each other or a mainframe computer in order to share data, etc., usually confined to one office

disk drive

noun

a device that enables data to be read from or written on a spinning magnetic disk, magnetic disk pack, floppy disk, or optical disk

hard-wired

adjective

built into a computer's hardware and thus not readily changed; a terminal connected to a computer by a direct circuit rather than through a network

touchscreen

noun

a touch-sensitive display screen, in which touching different portions of the screen with a finger will cause the computer to take actions

BASIC

noun

a programming language that uses English words, punctuation, and algebraic notation to facilitate communication between the operator and the computer

FIFO

noun

a storage and retrieval technique, used mainly for data, in which the first item stored is also the first item retrieved

desktop publishing

noun

the design and production of publications by means of specialized software enabling a microcomputer to generate typeset-quality text and graphics

systems analysis

noun

the methodical study of the data-processing needs of a business, together with recommendations for specific hardware and software installations

source code

noun

program instructions that must be translated by a compiler, interpreter, or assembler into object code before execution

GIGO

noun

a rule of thumb stating that when faulty data are fed into a computer, the information that emerges will also be faulty: garbage in, garbage out

courseware

noun

educational software designed especially for use with classroom computers

batch processing

noun

a form of data processing in which a number of input jobs are grouped for processing during the same machine run

hotlink

noun

a link between two files, such as a spreadsheet and a document, such that a change in one effects a change in the other, a hyperlink

utility program

noun

system software used to perform standard operations, such as sorting data for application programs or other system software

vaporware

noun

a product or software, that is promoted or marketed while it is still in development and that may never be produced

binary code

noun

a system of representing letters, numbers, or other characters, using binary notation

control unit

noun

the part of a CPU that interprets the instructions in programs and directs the operation of the entire system

pseudo-code

noun

a program code unrelated to the hardware of a computer and requiring conversion to the code used by the computer before the program can be used

object-oriented

adjective

pertaining to a system or programming language that supports the use of objects, such as an entire image, a routine, or a data structure

control panel

noun

the portion of a computer console that contains manual controls for regulating computer operations

distributed data processing

noun

a method of organizing data processing that uses a central computer that communicates with smaller local computers, which may communicate with each other

cache storage

noun

a small, very fast but not addressable memory used on some computers for executing instructions

secondary storage

noun

storage, as on disk or tape, supplemental to and slower than main storage, not under the direct control of the CPU and generally contained outside it

spambot

noun

a bot that searches the Internet for e-mail addresses in order to send spam

flash memory

noun

a type of reprogrammable memory that retains information even with the power turned off