False names or alternative names that someone uses instead of their real name, or in computing, other names that refer to the same file or program.
From Latin 'alias,' meaning 'otherwise' or 'at another time.' The word entered English legal terminology to describe when someone was known by a different name, often used in court records to identify criminals who used multiple identities.
Spies and undercover agents use aliases constantly, and the challenge is keeping track of all the fake identities without slipping up! In computer systems, aliases are incredibly useful—you can create a nickname for a complex command so you don't have to type the whole thing out.
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