Present participle of exit; the act of leaving or going out of a place. Can also refer to closing or terminating a program or process.
From Latin 'exitus', past participle of 'exire' meaning 'to go out'. The word entered English in the 16th century through theatrical terminology, where it indicated an actor's departure from the stage.
The word 'exit' was first popularized in Shakespeare's stage directions, and interestingly, the famous phrase 'exit, pursued by a bear' from The Winter's Tale remains one of theater's most memorably bizarre stage directions. In computing, 'exiting' has taken on new life as programs 'exit' rather than simply 'end'.
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