Fullword

/ˈfʊlˌwɜːrd/ noun

Definition

In computing and information technology, a complete unit of data or memory equal to the standard processing unit of a particular computer system.

Etymology

Compound of 'full' and 'word,' used in computer science from the mid-20th century when engineers needed precise terms for data units and processing increments.

Kelly Says

The term 'word' in computing actually borrowed from English grammar—early programmers thought of data units like linguistic words, and the metaphor stuck across all programming languages.

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