[syn: program, programme]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
computer program \computer program\ n.
a sequence of instructions, stored in any medium, that can be
interpreted and executed by a computer; -- called most
frequently a program. This term is used both for the
written program (a document) and for its corresponding
electronic version stored or executed on the computer. See
instruction; as, Version 1.0 of the program had a serious
bug that caused the computer to crash frequently..
Syn: program, program, computer programme.
[WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Program \Pro"gram\, n.
Same as Programme.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
program
n 1: a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be
accomplished; "they drew up a six-step plan"; "they
discussed plans for a new bond issue" [syn: plan,
program, programme]
2: a system of projects or services intended to meet a public
need; "he proposed an elaborate program of public works";
"working mothers rely on the day care program" [syn:
program, programme]
3: a radio or television show; "did you see his program last
night?" [syn: broadcast, program, programme]
4: a document stating the aims and principles of a political
party; "their candidate simply ignored the party platform";
"they won the election even though they offered no positive
program" [syn: platform, political platform, political
program, program]
5: an announcement of the events that will occur as part of a
theatrical or sporting event; "you can't tell the players
without a program" [syn: program, programme]
6: an integrated course of academic studies; "he was admitted to
a new program at the university" [syn: course of study,
program, programme, curriculum, syllabus]
7: (computer science) a sequence of instructions that a computer
can interpret and execute; "the program required several
hundred lines of code" [syn: program, programme,
computer program, computer programme]
8: a performance (or series of performances) at a public
presentation; "the program lasted more than two hours" [syn:
program, programme]
v 1: arrange a program of or for; "program the 80th birthday
party" [syn: program, programme]
2: write a computer program [syn: program, programme]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
236 Moby Thesaurus words for "program":
Beveridge Plan, Cultural Revolution, Fair Deal, Great Society,
Marshall Plan, New Deal, New Frontier, Philharmonic concert,
Point Four, Square Deal, affair, agenda, announcement,
annunciation, approach, arrange, arrangement, attack, attempt,
austerity program, automate, automatize, band concert,
batting order, beadroll, beat into, bill, bill of fare, blueprint,
blueprinting, book, brainwash, budget, bulletin board, business,
cadastre, calculate, calculation, calendar, card, carte du jour,
cast, catalog, catechize, census, census report, chamber concert,
charting, checklist, checkroll, circular, commitment, communique,
conception, concert, condition, contract, contrivance, contrive,
cut out, deal, declaration, declaration of policy, design, device,
devise, disposition, docket, dramatis personae, edict, effort,
encyclical, engagement, enroll, enter, enterprise, enumerate,
enunciation, envisagement, figure, figuring, file, five-year plan,
forecast, foresight, forethought, frame, game, graphing,
ground plan, guidelines, head count, honor roll, idea, imbue,
impanel, implant, impregnate, impress, inculcate, index,
indoctrinate, infix, infuse, inoculate, instill, intend, intention,
inventory, issue, itemize, jury list, jury panel, keep score,
keynote address, keynote speech, lay plans, layout, line, line up,
lineup, list, list of agenda, long-range plan, make a projection,
make arrangements, manifesto, mapping, master plan, menu, method,
methodize, methodology, musical performance, musical program,
muster, muster roll, nose count, notice, notification, obligation,
operation, operations research, order of business, organization,
organize, party platform, performance, philharmonic, pigeonhole,
plan, plan ahead, plank, planning, planning function, platform,
playbill, policy, polity, poll, pop concert, pops, popular concert,
position paper, post, prearrange, prearrangement, procedure,
proclamation, program of action, program of music,
program of operation, programma, project, prom, promenade concert,
pronouncement, pronunciamento, property roll, proposition,
prospectus, protocol, public notice, questionnaire,
rationalization, rationalize, recital, register, report, returns,
robotize, roll, roll call, roster, rota, schedule, schema,
schematism, schematization, schematize, scheme,
scheme of arrangement, score, scroll, service of music,
servo-control, set up, setup, shape, slate, statement,
strategic plan, strategy, symphony concert, system,
systematization, systematize, tabulate, tactical plan, tactics,
tally, task, tax roll, the big picture, the picture, timetable,
ukase, undertaking, venture, way, white book, white paper, work,
work out, work up, working plan
The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003):
program
n.
1. A magic spell cast over a computer allowing it to turn one's input into
error messages.
2. An exercise in experimental epistemology.
3. A form of art, ostensibly intended for the instruction of computers,
which is nevertheless almost inevitably a failure if other programmers
can't understand it.
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):
software
computer program
program
(Or "computer program", "program", "code") The
instructions executed by a computer, as opposed to the
physical device on which they run (the "hardware").
The term was coined by the eminent statistician, John Tukey.
Programs stored on non-volatile storage built from
integrated circuits (e.g. ROM or PROM) are usually
called firmware.
Software can be split into two main types - system software
and application software or application programs. System
software is any software required to support the production or
execution of application programs but which is not specific to
any particular application. Examples of system software would
include the operating system, compilers, editors and
sorting programs.
Examples of application programs would include an accounts
package or a CAD program. Other broad classes of
application software include real-time software, business
software, scientific and engineering software, embedded
software, personal computer software and artificial
intelligence software.
Software includes both source code written by humans and
executable machine code produced by assemblers or
compilers. It does not usually include the data processed
by programs unless this is in a format such as multimedia
which depends on the use of computers for its presentation.
This distinction becomes unclear in cases such as spread
sheets which can contain both instructions (formulae and
macros) and data. There are also various intermediate
compiled or semi-compiled, forms of software such as
library files and byte-code.
Some claim that documentation (both paper and electronic) is
also software. Others go further and define software to be
programs plus documentation though this does not correspond
with common usage.
The noun "program" describes a single, complete and
more-or-less self-contained list of instructions, often stored
in a single file, whereas "code" and "software" are
uncountable nouns describing some number of instructions which
may constitute one or more programs or part thereof. Most
programs, however, rely heavily on various kinds of operating
system software for their execution. The nounds "code" and
"software" both refer to the same thing but "code" tends to
suggest an interest in the implementation details whereas
"software" is more of a user's term.
(2002-07-21)