A programming construct that repeatedly executes a block of code until a specified condition is met or for a predetermined number of iterations. Loops eliminate the need to write repetitive code manually.
From Middle English 'loupe' meaning a fold or circular path. In programming, adopted in the 1950s to describe the circular flow of execution where code 'loops back' to repeat. The term perfectly captures the cyclical nature of repeated execution.
Loops are like a washing machine cycle - the machine keeps doing the same steps (wash, rinse, spin) until the program decides it's clean enough to stop. Without loops, you'd have to write 'wash the clothes' a hundred times instead of saying 'keep washing until clean!'
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