Computer: English Vocabulary List

to be able to use the information from a computer system, network, database, etc.

"You need a password to access the system."

"You need a password to access the secure database containing confidential employee information and financial records."

a screen that shows information or images generated by a computer

"She stared at the glowing computer monitor."

"The computer monitor displayed a vibrant image of the digital landscape."

an error or fault in a computer program, system, etc.

"There is a software bug causing the app to crash."

"The developer found a bug that made the website load slowly."

(computing) a small picture on a computer screen, etc. representing a program that when clicked will start running

"Click the icon to start."

"I couldn't find the icon for the email program, so I had to search through the settings menu."

(computing) a temporary storage area for data that has been copied or cut

"Copy to the clipboard."

"Before pasting the paragraph, she checked the clipboard to make sure the correct information was stored there."

(computing) a type of computer memory in which information that is often in use can be stored temporarily, a cache can be accessed quickly and is needed while a program is running

"The cache stores temporary data."

"If your browser is running slowly, you should clear the cache to free up space and improve overall performance."

to check a web page, text, etc. without reading all the content

"Browse the website for products."

"She likes to browse the internet for hours looking at recipes and home decoration ideas for her new apartment."

to add a piece of software to a computer system

"Install the app on your phone."

"The technician will install the new software on all company computers over the weekend to avoid disrupting daily operations."

to create a number of copies of a newspaper, magazine, book, etc.

"Print the document double sided."

"The teacher asked the students to print their final essays because handwritten submissions were difficult to read."

to put a copy of the desired digital file in a location

"Save your work frequently to avoid loss."

"Remember to save your work frequently while writing your essay because unexpected power outages can cause you to lose all your progress."

(computing) to prepare a storage device, such as a hard drive or USB, for use by deleting all the data on it and setting it up for a specific file system

"Format the disk before using it."

"You need to format the USB drive before you can use it with your computer because it is currently in the wrong file system."

(computing) to update a display, internet page, etc. and make the most recent information appear

"Refresh the page to see updates."

"Click the refresh button on your browser to reload the webpage if it is not displaying the most recent information correctly."

to insert copied or cut content at a specified location

"Paste the text into the document."

"You can copy the text from one document and then paste it into another without having to retype everything manually."

a computer program designed to perform a specific task for a user

"This application is useful."

"This new application on your phone allows you to edit photos with professional tools."

to write a set of codes in order to make a computer or a machine perform a particular task

"He learned to program."

"She learned to program computers at a young age and eventually became a successful software engineer at a large tech company."