WordVale

Technology & Computing

100 words and expressions, each with a learner-friendly meaning. Tap any term for its page.

• algorithma step-by-step procedure for solving a problem
• bandwidththe amount of data a connection can carry per second
• encryptionencoding data so only authorized parties can read it
• firewalla system that blocks unauthorized network access
• latencythe delay before data begins to transfer
• cachefast temporary storage for frequently used data
• servera computer that provides services to other computers
• cloud computingusing remote servers on the internet for computing
• open sourcesoftware whose code anyone may inspect and modify
• APIa defined way for programs to communicate with each other
• backendthe server-side parts of software users don't see
• frontendthe parts of software users see and interact with
• debugto find and fix errors in software
• deploymentreleasing software so it can be used
• firmwarepermanent software programmed into hardware
• interfacethe point where a user or system interacts with another
• kernelthe core of an operating system
• machine learningsystems that improve from data without explicit programming
• malwaresoftware designed to damage or gain unauthorized access
• phishingtricking people into revealing sensitive information online
• protocolan agreed set of rules for transmitting data
• querya request for information from a database
• repositorya storage location for code and its history
• scalabilitythe ability to handle growing amounts of work
• syntaxthe rules governing the structure of code
• throughputthe amount of work completed in a given time
• tokena digital unit representing data, access, or value
• virtualizationrunning simulated computers on one physical machine
• blockchaina shared, tamper-resistant digital ledger
• chatbota program that converses with users automatically
• cybersecurityprotecting systems and data from digital attacks
• data miningextracting useful patterns from large datasets
• downtimetime when a system is unavailable
• legacy systemoutdated software or hardware still in use
• patcha small update fixing bugs or security flaws
• pluginan add-on extending a program's capabilities
• sandboxan isolated environment for safely testing software
• wireframea basic visual sketch of an interface layout
• bugan error or flaw in software
• user interfacethe means by which a person controls software
• authenticationverifying that a user is who they claim to be
• backupa copy of data kept in case the original is lost
• big datadatasets too large for traditional processing methods
• binarythe base-two number system computers use
• bootto start up a computer
• botneta network of hijacked computers controlled remotely
• CAPTCHAa test distinguishing humans from automated programs
• compilera program that translates code into machine language
• cookiea small file a website stores on your device
• databasean organized collection of structured data
• DDoS attackoverwhelming a service with traffic to knock it offline
• domain namea website's human-readable address
• emulatorsoftware that mimics another device or system
• endpointa device or service address connected to a network
• frameworka reusable foundation of code for building software
• GUIa visual interface with windows, icons, and buttons
• hackathonan event where teams build software in a short sprint
• hasha fixed-length fingerprint computed from data
• hotfixan urgent patch applied to live software
• IoTeveryday objects connected to the internet
• IP addressthe numeric address identifying a device on a network
• load balancera system distributing traffic across multiple servers
• metadatadata that describes other data
• microservicesbuilding software as many small independent services
• neural networka computing system inspired by the brain's structure
• operating systemthe core software managing a computer's resources
• parsera program that analyzes text into structured pieces
• quantum computingcomputation using quantum-mechanical phenomena
• refactorto restructure code without changing its behavior
• responsive designlayouts that adapt to any screen size
• rollbackreverting software or data to a previous state
• source codethe human-readable instructions of a program
• two-factor authenticationlogin requiring a second proof beyond the password
• UXthe overall experience a person has using a product
• version controltracking and managing changes to code over time
• bandwidth throttlingdeliberately slowing a network connection
• dark webhidden internet content requiring special software to access
• digital footprintthe trail of data you leave online
• jailbreakremoving a device's manufacturer restrictions
• uptimethe time a system stays continuously operational
• asynchronousnot occurring at the same time; not waiting for a response
• checksuma value used to verify data has not been corrupted
• concurrencymultiple computations happening in overlapping periods
• containerizationpackaging software with its dependencies to run anywhere
• daemona background process that runs without user interaction
• edge computingprocessing data near its source rather than in the cloud
• failoverautomatically switching to a backup system on failure
• shardingsplitting a database into pieces spread across multiple servers
• idempotentproducing the same result no matter how many times it runs
• middlewaresoftware that connects different applications or services
• namespacea container that keeps names distinct to avoid conflicts
• orchestrationautomated coordination of multiple systems or services
• payloadthe actual data carried within a transmission
• polymorphismthe ability of code to take many forms or types
• provisioningsetting up and configuring computing resources
• recursiona process that repeats by calling itself
• redundancyduplicate components kept in case one fails
• serializationconverting data into a format for storage or transfer
• telemetryautomatically collecting and transmitting remote measurements
• webhookan automatic message sent when a specific event occurs