The Computer World: English Vocabulary List

the non-physical space in which communication over computer networks takes place

"Cyberspace is vast."

"People connect in cyberspace every day through many online platforms."

relating to or using signals in which information is represented through constant changing of physical quantities

"The clock is analog."

"The analog clock has hands that move around the face instead of digital numbers that change every minute."

the symbol (\), used in some computer commands

"Use backslash symbol."

"You must use backslash to separate folders in the file path on Windows computers correctly."

(in a computer, phone, etc.) a key on the keyboard used to erase the last letter or go backward

"Press backspace key."

"Press backspace key to delete the character you typed by mistake on the keyboard quickly."

each of the several keys at the top of a computer keyboard marked with (F) and a number that make the computer perform particular operations

"Press function key."

"Press the function key at the top of the keyboard to perform special commands quickly and easily."

a unit for measuring the size of computer data that equals 8 bits

"A byte of data is eight bits grouped together."

"A terabyte is a massive unit of digital information storage"

(in electronic devices such as computers, etc.) the main printed circuit board that makes it possible for all the parts of a computer to communicate

"The central chip connects directly to the motherboard."

"The motherboard is the main printed circuit board inside every computer."

the smallest unit of an image on the screen that collectively can form a whole image

"The image was blurry because it had too few pixels."

"A pixel is the smallest addressable element in a digital display"

a device that allows the computer to read the data on a computer disk and transfer data to or from it

"Hard disk drive stores."

"The hard disk drive stores all important files and programs on the computer safely."

the speed at which a computer can process information, expressed in (MHz)

"High clock speed processor."

"The processor has high clock speed which makes the computer run programs very fast and smoothly."

(computing) a type of software stored in a way that it cannot be modified or erased

"Firmware controls basic hardware functions."

"Firmware is a type of software that is permanently stored on a hardware device to control its functions."

a software designed to disrupt or damage the computer without the user knowing

"Dangerous malware infected."

"Dangerous malware infected the company computers and caused serious problems last month suddenly."

the ability of a computer, software, or equipment to work with another device or software

"Check compatibility first."

"We need to check compatibility before installing the new software on the old computer system carefully."

(computing) to detect and remove faults in a software

"The programmer debugged the software code."

"The software engineer spent the entire afternoon trying to debug the code and find out why the program kept crashing unexpectedly."

a part of a computer responsible for storing and controlling data where users cannot easily access

"The back end processes user requests."

"The back end is the server-side infrastructure of a software application"

(computing) the program through which a user can interact with a computer, especially its design and appearance

"The interface is user-friendly."

"The new software features a clean and intuitive graphical user interface that makes it easy to navigate."

to convert data or information into a coded form, mainly to prevent unauthorized access

"Encrypt your files for added security."

"It is very important to encrypt your sensitive files so that unauthorized people cannot access your personal information or steal your identity."

(computing) to cancel an operation or to turn off the computer automatically because a predefined interval of time has passed without a certain event happening

"The game timed out due to inactivity."

"The game will automatically time out if the player does not make a move within the allotted time limit for their turn."

(computing) describing a computer program whose source code is available to everyone

"The software is open-source."

"The software is open source so anyone can modify and share it for free without paying."

a network for communication between computers, usually within a building

"The local area network is down."

"All the computers in our office are connected through a local area network for easy file sharing."

an electronic device that uses telephone lines to send and receive data between two computers

"The modem is not working."

"We had to replace the old modem because it could no longer support the faster internet speeds we needed."

the visual interaction that users have with the computer through icons, menus, etc.

"Modern graphical user interface."

"Modern graphical user interface makes computers easy and pleasant to use for ordinary people daily."

the part of a computer where operations are controlled and executed

"The central processing unit overheated."

"A central processing unit is the primary component of a computer that executes instructions"

based on or using a numerical system that operates only on 0 and 1

"Computers use binary code."

"The computer's operating system relies on a binary language composed solely of zeros and ones."

(computing) to move important information or information that is not often needed to a different disk, tape, or another computer to store it, sometimes as a security measure

"Archive the old files for storage."

"The IT department will archive all old project files to free up server space and ensure data security."

(computing) a copy of computer data that can be used to restore lost or damaged data

"Make sure you always have a backup of your files."

"A cold backup is a database backup strategy that requires the database to be completely shut down and taken offline before the backup copy is made"

to start a computer, typically involves setting up hardware elements to prepare the computer for use

"The computer boots up in seconds."

"It takes about thirty seconds for this computer to boot up completely after you press the power button."

a computer program that automatically performs tasks over the internet

"Internet bot answers."

"The internet bot automatically answers customer questions on the company website every single day."

(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."

(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."

built into or functioning within a main system or device, especially in electronics

"It has on-board memory."

"This laptop features an advanced on-board graphics processor for enhanced visual performance."

a software that controls the interaction between a computer and another equipment, such as a printer or scanner

"Install the printer driver."

"A new driver is required to ensure proper communication between the scanner and the computer."

the set-up, hardware, and software of a computer that makes a complete system

"Check the configuration."

"The default configuration of the network server needs to be adjusted for optimal security."

(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."

a part of a computer that is easily accessible and one uses constantly

"The front end looks beautiful and works smoothly."

"The front end of the website includes everything users see and interact with like buttons and menus."

an adjustment of the codes of a computer program that solves a problem in a quick way

"Computer hack attempted."

"The hacker tried to hack the company system but security measures stopped the attempt successfully yesterday."

to transform data into a coded form

"Encode the message for security purposes."

"The computer uses a special algorithm to encode the sensitive data so that hackers cannot read the information easily."

describing the constant passage of data between a computer or other device and a user

"The game is interactive."

"The interactive game responds to your choices and the story changes depending on what decisions you make along the way."

an electronic device that connects computer networks and sends data between networks

"Wireless router provides."

"The wireless router provides internet connection to all devices in the house simultaneously every day."