Vocabulary for Computer Class

Dictionary of computer terms may help you with your definitions.

Vocab 1

@ symbol – The @ symbol is what separates the username from the domain in an email address.
Adobe Photoshop – This is a computer program used for editing photos and other computer graphics.
anti-virus software – This protects your computer against malicious programs called viruses.
Bitmap – a bitmap is a collection of dots, or pixels, that makes up the shape of an object or character on the computer screen.
boolean terms (and, or) – Boolean functions can have only two possible values: true and false. The most common Boolean functions are AND, OR and NOT.
Broadband – high speed Internet access (e.g. DSL, cable modem), is referred to as "broadband."
Cable – a cable is a wire that connects two computer components. In the case of Internet access, one can get broadband Internet access via the cable used for their television.
case-sensitive vs. case-insensitive – an email address is case-insensitive. In other words, you can use any cOmBiNatioN of UPPER and lower-case letters you wish. Most passwords are case-sensitive, so you must use the Exact case as the original.
citing online references – online references must be cited with the address of the website (e.g. http://bolinas-stinson.org), the date (e.g. 2/28/2005) and the author (e.g. Kevin Pedersen).
compact disc (CD) – A compact disc is a 12 cm diameter disc that is about 1.5 mm thick and can hold up to 700 MB of data, including text, music, video and any other computer data.
Vocab 2
computer hardware - Hardware is a general term referring to the physical parts that make up the computer, such as the drives, the chips and the expansion cards. Computer hardware generally becomes faster over time (it is able to perform more operations per second).
CPU, processor - The CPU is the key piece of computer hardware that does the "thinking." The CPU is the brain of the computer, responsible for millions of basic computations (addition and subtraction of binary numbers) per second that build up to solve more complex problems.
default - A default setting is one that is set originally. A custom setting is anything that modifies the original, default setting on a computer. For example, the desktop in Windows 2000 might be solid blue by default, but I can customize it by changing the color to suit my tastes.
domain - A domain name is used to identify a computer (e.g. bolinas.marin.k12.ca.us, for which bolinas is the computer's hostname and marin.k12.ca.us is the domain name) or computer user (e.g. kevinp@marin.k12.ca.us, for which kevinp is the username and marin.k12.ca.us is the domain name) as members of the same organization on the Internet (e.g. the domain marin.k12.ca.us) Domains are hierarchical and have subdomains. For example, bolinas.marin.k12.ca.us is a hierarchical domain name. The top-level domain is .us (United States), preceded by .ca (California), preceded by k12 (schools grades Kindergarten through 12), preceded by marin (for Marin county), and the sub-sub-sub-domain is bolinas. If you visit http://bolinas.marin.k12.ca.us, you'll see the Bolinas-Stinson Union School district website. If you visit http://marin.k12.ca.us, you'll see the Marin County Office of Education website.
download - To download a file is to retrieve a copy of a file as bits of information that are transferred from a remote location (e.g. a website) to a local location (e.g. your computer's hard drive).
e-mail & e-mail addresses - email addresses are not case-sensitive and must be unique. They are of the format someone@somedomain.net (or .com, .edu, .org, etc.).
e-mail attachments - An attachment is a file that is sent along with an email message. The sender must attach the file to an email message and upload it when the message is sent, and the recipient must then download the attachment once the message is received. Attachments, like all computer files, require certain programs to open them. Sometimes the program to open an attachment may not be on the recipient's computer. Attachments can also contain viruses, so be careful when or if you open them.
electronic spike - An electronic spike is a burst of electricity that can potentially travel along any line that leads into your home or office (e.g. power, phone, or TV cable). If a spike should be allowed to travel along a cable and into electronic devices in your home, those devices can be damaged or ruined. For this reason, it is always a good idea to plug electronics into a surge suppressor which plugs into the wall and can block spikes from passing through it.
ergonomics - ergonomics is the scientific study of the relationship between workers and their environments. Computers are the subject of much ergonomic research because of the ways in which their use can lead to repetitive strain injuries.
file extensions/endings (.au, .htm, .html, .mid, .psd, .snd, .tif, .wav) File extensions denote the type of data that a file contains. For example, a file named Writing.txt would contain plain-text with no formatting, while a file named Writing.doc would be of Microsoft Word format and could contain formatted text and images. A file named filename.wav would be a Windows audio file and a file name filename.psd would be an Adobe Photoshop file.
Vocab 3
files vs. folders/directories - A file is a collection of data, analogous to a book or a magazine. A folder or a directory can contain many files, analogous to a bookshelf or a filing cabinet. Files contain information, while folders just help keep files organized. Directory is another name for folder.
floppy disk - A floppy disk is used to store computer data and can be removed to be easily transported to another computer. The two main types of floppy disks are 5-1/4" and 3-1/2"floppies. 5-1/4" (pronounced "five and a quarter inch") floppies contain about 800kB of data on a thin, flexible disc inside a 5-1/4" square, flexible plastic sleeve. 3-1/2" (pronounced "three and a half inch") floppies are smaller, but contain more information: 1.44MB of data on a flexible disc inside a hard plastic enclosure measuring about 3-1/4" square by 1/8" thick.
freeware - Freeware is software that can be downloaded, installed and used for free.
FTP - FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and it is a way to serve files over a network for people to download.
GIFs vs. JPEGs - These are both file formats used for images on the Internet. Both file formats are ideal for web images because they can compress the image into a smaller file size than other image formats like BMP or PICT. The GIF file format is used for images with few colors and for animations. GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. The JPEG format is best used for photographs or other images that have many shades of color. JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group.
graphic file - A graphic file is a file that contains a drawing, photograph or other image.
hacker - A hacker is one who really excels at computer programming, often finding creative solutions to tricky programming challenges (the solution is often known as a "hack"). The term hacker is also used in a negative light to describe someone who uses their programming skill for illegal purposes, such as to breaking into unauthorized computer systems (another term for breaking into a computer system is "hacking").
hard copy, printout - A hard copy of a file is something you can hold in your hand, such as a piece of paper, as opposed to an electronic computer file that exists only as bits within the computer.
hard disk drive - A hard disk drive is a mechanical device used to store large quantities of information. A hard drive stores its information permanently even when the computer is turned off. Information is only lost when it is intentionally deleted or erased, or when the hard drive fails, which is known as a hard drive crash. Although most hard drives are quite reliable, it is always a good idea to backup a hard drive in case of a crash.
hardware - Hardware is a term generally applied to electronic or computer equipment, but can also be applied to the physical pieces (nuts, bolts, metal, plastic, etc.) of any device or piece of machinery.
Vocab 4
install - A program usually must be installed before it can be run. You install a program from a disc (e.g. a CD) or from an installer file that you download from the Internet.
Internet - The Internet is an international network that connects computer systems together. Internet refers to the physical cables and other network connections and used to transmit email, web sites and other computer-related services.
ISP - ISP stands for Internet Service Provider. An Internet Service Provider is a company that provides a means for its customers to connect to the Internet, generally for a monthly fee. Examples of ISPs are Earthlink, AOL, MSN, etc.
legal use of software - Software programs are almost always accompanied by a user license agreement that specifies the legal use of the software. For example, most software allows you to only legally use one copy of it on one computer.
local drive - A local drive is a drive that is physically connected to the computer, either internally or in an external enclosure next to the computer, as opposed to a network drive, which is connected to another computer and accessed via a network connection.
Macintosh (Macs) vs. Windows-based computers - Macintosh computers are made by Apple Computer Company, who make both the hardware and software. Windows-based computers run an operating system made by Microsoft Corporation, and the hardware can be made by many manufacturers.
measurement of CPU speed (gigahertz, megahertz) - Hertz is a unit that represents cycles per second. One megahertz equals a million cycles per second and a gigahertz equals a billion cycles per second. Both terms are used to describe how many cycles of operations a computer can perform in a second, which is one indication of a computer's speed (but not the only indication).
measurement of hard disk drive space (gigabyte, kilobyte, megabyte, terabyte) - A byte is 8 bits, or a collection of eight ones and zeroes, and a byte is the amount of memory required to hold one character (a letter, number, etc.) in a text file.. The prefixes kilo-, mega-, gig- and ter- represent approximately a thousand, million, billion and trillion bytes, respectively. For example, a 20 gigabyte disk could hold about 20 billion bytes (or characters) of data.
Microsoft Excel - Part of Microsoft Office. A spreadsheet program.
Microsoft PowerPoint - Part of Microsoft Office. A presentation program.
Microsoft Word - Part of Microsoft Office. A word processing program.
Vocab 5
monitor, screen - Monitor and screen are synonyms for the part of the computer that displays the images. This part is also called the display. For most PCs, the display is a separate part. For computers like iMacs and laptops, the display is built into the computer case.
motherboard - The motherboard is a board inside of the computer that contains most, if not all, of the computer's circuitry. The CPU, RAM, drive cables and expansion cards all plug into the motherboard. The motherboard inside most PC cases can be replaced, or upgraded, along with the CPU, RAM and any other outdated parts. This allows you to get all of the benefits and features of a new computer without having to throw out your old case.
mouse, mice - A mouse is an input device. That is, it allows a person to put commands into the computer by moving a cursor across the screen and clicking on objects via a graphical (visual) interface.
network - A network is any technology that enables computers to be linked together share information and resources. Networks can be connected by various types of cables, radio waves, or even beams of light.
network drive- In Microsoft Windows, a network drive is the name given to a folder or drive from a remote computer that is mapped to appear on the local computer as a lettered drive. For example, look in "My Computer" at BSUSD and you will find the network drive "Public," which corresponds to drive letter P:.
online - To be "online" is to be connected to the Internet.
online chatting - This is to chat with someone across an Internet connection. This is usually done by typing messages back and forth, although audio and video chatting is also possible.
online references - Online references should be given to websites that are used as sources for research papers.
online searching - Online searching is what you're doing when you look up information via a search engine such as Google or Yahoo!
operating systems (Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Red Hat Linux) - Operating systems are what allow us to use computer hardware to save & open files, run programs, connect to networks and many basic functions. Without an operating system, a computer would not be able to boot and run programs.
peripherals - A peripheral is any device connected to the outside of the computer, such as a mouse, keyboard, printer or scanner.
Vocab 6
pirate - a pirate is someone who steals and trades data or code that she or he does not have rights to, e.g. music, software and games.
plugin - a plugin is a piece of software that extends the capabilities of a program. For example, the Flash plugin extends your web browser's capabilities to be able to play Flash videos.
port - there are two usages of the term port. The most common usage for the term port is to describe a connector (usually on the back of the computer) to which one may connect devices, such as a keyboard, mouse and printer. For example, a USB port or an Ethernet port. The other definition of a port is related to certain "channels" over which a service communicates over a network. For example, port 80 is used for HTTP (the web service).
printer - a printer is considered an output device, capable of outputting data, text and images. A printer is connected to a local computer via a parallel, serial or USB cable, or to a local network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi so that all computers on the network may print to it directly via a network connection (wired or wireless).
RAM - RAM is a high speed, temporary memory storage used by programs and the operating system. RAM can be upgraded to allow the computer to run more complex tasks (e.g. open larger documents or have more documents open simultaneously) by installing additional, or higher capacity RAM chips in the computer. RAM stands for Random Access Memory. The contents of RAM are lost when the computer is turned off or loses power.
real time - real time is a term used when a digital effect is applied to source material as the material is being played back. For example, if you could apply a lightning effect (or other special effect) to a video clip real time, you could play the video immediately, without having to wait to see what it looked like. A computer must be very fast to be able to process full screen video in real time.
ROM - the term ROM has two uses. In both cases, ROM stands for Read Only Memory, which implies that information cannot be modified. The most familiar use of the ROM acronym is in CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. These are discs that can be read from, but not recorded to. A CD-ROM or DVD-ROM is used for the type of pre-recorded music CD or DVD movie that you would buy in a store. The second use for the term ROM is to describe a type of permanent memory on a computer chip. For example, your computer might have a ROM chip in it that contains the computer's serial number.
saving documents - saving a document writes the document's contents to permanent memory, such as a hard drive.
scanner - a scanner is considered an input device, capable of scanning (inputting) text and images. A scanner is connected to a local computer via a parallel, SCSI or USB cable, or to a local network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi so that all computers on the network may scan from it to a networked computer. Images are read in via a flat glass pane (flatbed scanner) or a stackable paper tray (sheet feed scanner). After scanning, the photos or other images may be edited on the computer. Text is also scanned as an image, but may be processed with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software to convert it into a format that can be edited with a word processor.
search engines - a search engine catalogs the contents of numerous websites, then provides a means for searching for keywords or phrases within those sites. For example, the search engine Google could be used to find websites that contain "server" and you might use those pages to define the following term.
server - a server is a computer or device that is connected to a network and shares its resources (e.g. data, printers and other connected devices) with other computers on the network. For example, the computer that hosts this web page is called a web server.
Vocab 7
shareware - shareware is software that can be redistributed (i.e. shared with your friends), but usually a license must be purchased to continue using the shareware after an evaluation period, or to enable additional features.
software - the term software is used to describe the operating system and accompanying programs on your computer that allow you to view and edit data. For example, Photoshop is a piece of software that is used for editing image data.
software licensing - software companies sell licenses to use their programs. For example, if you wanted to use Adobe Photoshop on 25 different computers, you would have to purchase 25 licenses from Adobe to legally use their software. Licenses come with terms that you agree to when you install the software.
software program - a software program is a virtual tool that is used for a specific purpose on your computer. For example, Photoshop is a software program that is used for editing photos and other images.
software update - flaws are fixed in software programs and/or new features are added after the programs are installed. A software update allows you to add these fixes/features to your software. Updates are distributed on discs or via files downloaded from the Internet.
sound card - most computers have the ability to play back and record sound built in. If your computer does not have this capability, if you would like to get better quality sound, or if you would like to have additional sound inputs and outputs on your computer, then you can add these features by installing a sound card - if your computer has an available expansion card slot.
sound file - music, voice and other audio can be stored on a computer in a sound file.
surge protectors - a surge protector switches off the electricity to protect connected devices when the incoming power spikes, as in the case of a lightning strike.
system administrator - the system administrator is the person, or computer user login, who has the ability to make changes to the computer; for example to install a software program on the computer.
text file - a text file is a simple data file that contains only text and numbers (i.e. alphanumeric), but does not contain formatting (e.g. bold, italics, font colors, etc.) or other data like images. Lacking formatting, text files are small in size and are good for saving notes or instructions that can be read by anyone, since they do not require a special program like Microsoft Word to open them. Every computer comes with a simple program called a text editor like Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac OS X).
trojan horse - a trojan horse is a type of malicious computer program that sneaks into your computer through another file. If undetected by antivirus software, a trojan often sits on your computer until a specified date, when it will wreak havoc, deleting files or disabling security software.
types of Internet connections (analog/phone modem, cable modem, DSL, ISDN, T1 line, T3 line) - an analog/phone modem is a device that lets your computer communicate (e.g. connect to the Internet, send a fax, or dial into another computer) over a standard phone line by dialing into an Internet Service Provider via a specified phone number, known as an access number. This type of Internet connection is known as dial-up. A cable modem is a device that connects your computer to the Internet via TV cable. A DSL modem is a device that connects your computer to the Internet via a phone line. DSL differs from dial-up in two ways: it is ten to sixty times faster, and it does not tie up your phone line (i.e. you can talk and use DSL on one phone line simultaneously).
Vocab 8
upload
UPS
URL
URL naming
validity of online information
virus
virus prevention
Web browsers (Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator/Communicator)
Web pages vs. home pages
World Wide Web