Checksumming

/ˈtʃɛksʌmɪŋ/ verb

Definition

The process of calculating and using checksums to verify that data has not been corrupted or altered.

Etymology

From checksum with the -ing suffix indicating ongoing action. Belongs to computing terminology that developed rapidly after 1960s programming.

Kelly Says

Checksumming is why you can download a 10GB file and be absolutely certain every single byte arrived correctly—mathematicians and computer scientists built an elegant system that catches errors so reliably it's almost magic.

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