Computer Science and Technology - Introductory

If you're struggling with computer science terminology, reboot and learn this list of essential vocabulary. Review hardware and software, networks and websites, downloading and uploading files, computer viruses, and much more. Store these words in your memory and you'll be right at home in cyberspace!
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. analog
    having an output that is proportional to the input
  2. application
    a program that gives a computer instructions
  3. backup
    a copy of a file or directory on a separate storage device
  4. blog
    an online journal where people post about their experiences
  5. browser
    a program used to view HTML documents
  6. bug
    a fault or defect in a computer program, system, or machine
  7. cell
    any small compartment
  8. clip art
    ready-made pieces of computerized graphic art that can be used to decorate a document
  9. code
    the symbolic arrangement of data in a computer program
  10. cursor
    (computer science) indicator consisting of a movable spot of light (an icon) on a visual display; moving it allows the user to point to commands or screen positions
  11. cybercrime
    crime committed using a computer and the internet
  12. cyberspace
    a worldwide network of computer networks
  13. database
    an organized body of related information
  14. delete
    wipe out digitally or magnetically recorded information
  15. desktop
    (computer science) the area of the screen in graphical user interfaces against which icons and windows appear
  16. digitize
    put into a format that can be read or processed by computers
  17. disk
    a flat plate used to store information
  18. download
    transfer a file or program to a smaller computer
  19. email
    (computer science) a system of world-wide electronic communication in which a computer user can compose a message at one terminal that can be regenerated at the recipient's terminal when the recipient logs in
  20. emoticon
    a facial expression represented by a sequence of characters
  21. FAQ
    a list of questions that are frequently asked (about a given topic) along with their answers
  22. file
    a set of related records kept together
  23. font
  24. format
    the organization of data according to preset specifications
  25. GPS
    a navigational system involving satellites and computers that can determine the latitude and longitude of a receiver on Earth by computing the time difference for signals from different satellites to reach the receiver
  26. graphical user interface
    a user interface based on graphics instead of text
  27. hacker
    a programmer who breaks into computer systems
  28. hard drive
    computer hardware that holds and spins a magnetic or optical disk and reads and writes information on it
  29. hardware
    the mechanical components making up a computer system
  30. home page
    the main starting point for a website
  31. hyperlink
    a bit of text on a web site that takes you to another site
  32. icon
    a symbol in a graphical user interface
  33. information technology
    the branch of engineering that deals with the use of computers and telecommunications to retrieve and store and transmit information
  34. internet
    a worldwide network of computer networks
  35. justify
    adjust the spaces between words
  36. keyboard
    set of levers that can be pressed, as on a piano or computer
  37. key word
    an important word used in indexing or cataloging
  38. laptop
    a portable computer
  39. link
    an instruction connecting one part of a program to another
  40. log in
    enter a computer
  41. log out
    exit a computer
  42. memory
    an electronic storage device
  43. monitor
    a device that takes signals and displays them
  44. mouse
    a hand-operated electronic device that controls a cursor
  45. network
    a system of interconnected electronic components or circuits
  46. peripheral
    electronic equipment connected by cable to a computer
  47. personal computer
    a small digital computer based on a microprocessor and designed to be used by one person at a time
  48. plagiarism
    taking someone's words or ideas as if they were your own
  49. podcast
    a digital audio file made available on the internet
  50. program
    a sequence of instructions that a computer can execute
  51. programming language
    a language designed for programming computers
  52. QWERTY keyboard
    the standard typewriter keyboard
  53. reboot
    cause to load and start the initial processes
  54. scanner
    an electronic device that generates a digital representation of an image for data input to a computer
  55. search engine
    a computer program that retrieves documents or files or data from a database or from a computer network (especially from the internet)
  56. simulation
    representing the real world by a computer program
  57. software
    written programs operating on a computer system
  58. symbol
    an arbitrary sign with a conventional significance
  59. template
    a model or standard for making comparisons
  60. touch-type
    type without looking at the keyboard
  61. upload
    transfer data to a server, remote computer, or website
  62. URL
    the address of a web page on the world wide web
  63. virus
    a software program capable of reproducing itself
  64. webcam
    a digital camera designed to take digital photographs and transmit them over the internet
  65. website
    a set of pages on the internet organized as a single unit
  66. WiFi
    a local area network that uses high frequency radio signals to transmit and receive data over distances of a few hundred feet; uses ethernet protocol
  67. word processor
    an application that provides the user with tools needed to write and edit and format text and to send it to a printer
  68. World Wide Web
    computer network consisting of a collection of internet sites that offer text and graphics and sound and animation resources through the hypertext transfer protocol
Created on Fri Feb 03 09:27:27 EST 2017 (updated Wed Mar 29 16:07:47 EDT 2017)

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