An Internet Dictionary

The computer industry and the Internet are adding new words everyday to our language. Learn the meaning of these new terms in words you can understand.

A Tip Before You Begin

This Internet Dictionary is easy to use. To find what you are looking for, click on the first letter of any word you want to find.

If you need more information, click on the highlighted words that appear in this dictionary. You will jump to another definition or a window will pop up in this screen.

When you are through viewing the pop-up window, click anywhere in this main screen to make it temporarily disappear. To permanently close it, click on boxed X in the upper right hand corner of the pop-up window.

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

S

save

To make or keep a copy of a file. Saving a file stores it permanently on the computer or on a floppy disk. The copy is there even when the computer is off. Open the file and the computer retrieves and displays it . Anything you create on the computer you can save and you should save if you do not want to lose it.

search engine

A software program that finds World Wide Web, FTP, Usenet, newsgroups, addresses and other Internet sites in its Web database. Users direct where the software program searches by entering keywords or search terms. A search engine looks for sites that match those keywords in its Web database. Alta Vista, at http://www.altavista.digital.com, is a search engine, Visit Whatis.com, an online dictionary, for more information on search engines and searching.

server

A computer that provides information and software to the Internet community or to locally linked computers in a network. Visit Whatis.com, an online dictionary, for more information on server.

shareware

Software programs that the user can try for free. If the user decides to keep the program after the trial period, the user must pay the software developer for the program.

Shockwave

A software program that creates and plays back multimedia files, including sound, video or animation. Users need a computer loaded with Shockwave to view or play Shockwave files. Visit Whatis.com, an online dictionary, for more information on Shockwave.

site

A group of Web pages, including a home or index page. Visit Whatis.com, an online dictionary, for more information on site.

site address

1. The address of a Web site. For example, http://www.disney.com
2. The location of a server on the Internet.

software

Any program that tells the computer what to do. Software comes on disks or already loaded on the computer.

subdirectory

A folder under a main directory or a higher level subdirectory. Subdirectories follow a hierarchical structure where the directory is at the top level and subdirectories are anywhere below that level. See also path.

subdomain

A subdirectory in a Web site. Subdomains follow a hierarchical structure where the domain name is at the top level and subdomains are anywhere below that level. In this Web page example, http://www.altavista.digital.com/av/content/about.htm. the path indicates where the "about.htm" file is on the Web. The path shows this is an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) file on the www. (World Wide Web) at the "altavista.digital.com" domain name in a series of sub-domains "/av/content/" to reach file "about.htm."

surfing

A term used by the media to describe exploring the Internet. Surfing means following links to new places, people, and information to learn about everything or anything in the World.

Go back to the top of the page. 
Look up words beginning with R. 
Look up words beginning with T.