Real Words Without Definition
This one is a judgement call.
Computing and sysadmin words, and there are more of them here than you would expect.
Most come out of IBM mainframe manuals: ddname, lrecl, csect, dsect. The rest is ordinary shop talk like cputime, nanosec and dumpfile, plus product names like microvax and decnet.
These are real terms with real meanings. They live in reference manuals rather than dictionaries.
171 words · sorted A to Z · each with a line on why it is here
Matches the word itself, not the note beside it. Case does not matter.
| Word, sorted Z to A | What it is |
|---|---|
| agtbasic | AGT BASIC, a BASIC dialect |
| attntrp | IBM attention-trap identifier |
| autocoder | IBM Autocoder assembly language |
| backarrow | the back-arrow (backspace) character |
| backarrows | back-arrow characters |
| backpointer | a pointer back to a referencing record |
| backpointers | pointers back to referencing records |
| backspacefile | tape backspace-file operation |
| bisync | IBM binary synchronous communications |
| blksize | IBM JCL BLKSIZE, block size parameter |
| caseconv | case-conversion routine name |
| checkbit | a parity or check bit |
| checkbits | parity or check bits |
| chkfil | CHKFIL, a check-file routine identifier |
| chkfile | CHKFILE, a check-file command name |
| computerite | IT jargon, a computer specialist |
| cputime | CPU time, processor time consumed |
| csect | IBM assembler control section (CSECT) |
| csects | plural of CSECT, IBM control sections |
| cwrite | a write routine or command |
| datacell | IBM Data Cell mass-storage device |
| datakit | AT&T Datakit packet-switching network |
| datamation | data + automation, the computing trade journal |
| datapac | Datapac, Canadian packet-switched network |
| datapunch | a data punch card device |
| datasetname | IBM data set name, DSNAME |
| datsw | data switch identifier |
| dcb | IBM JCL data control block |
| dcbname | IBM DCB name parameter |
| ddname | IBM JCL data-definition name |
| decnet | DECnet, DEC networking protocol |
| decwriter | DECwriter, DEC hardcopy terminal |
| drumread | drum read, read from magnetic drum storage |
| drumreads | drum reads, reads from drum storage |
| dsect | IBM assembler dummy section |
| dsects | IBM assembler dummy sections |
| dsname | IBM JCL data set name |
| dsnames | IBM JCL data set names |
| dsri | DEC Digital Standard Relational Interface |
| dtset | mainframe data-set identifier |
| dumpfile | a memory/core dump file |
| ebcasc | EBCDIC-to-ASCII conversion routine |
| editchar | edit character, data-processing term |
| edplot | EDP plot, data-processing identifier |
| endfile | Fortran ENDFILE statement |
| errordump | error dump, diagnostic memory listing |
| errsyn | error/syntax routine identifier |
| fchar | identifier, character-type field |
| fcomp | identifier, floating-point compare |
| fconv | identifier, format-conversion routine |
| fconvert | routine name, field convert |
| fdname | IBM CMS file-definition name |
| fdnames | plural of fdname (CMS) |
| fdtype | IBM CMS file-definition type |
| fgrid | identifier, a grid array variable name |
| filechar | identifier, a file-character variable |
| filesave | file save routine or identifier |
| filesniff | a file-inspecting utility name |
| filestatus | FILE STATUS, file-handling identifier |
| fname | filename variable or field identifier |
| fplot | plotting routine/command identifier |
| fpsps | floating-point support package identifier |
| fromfile | identifier/routine reading data from a file |
| fstore | JVM bytecode instruction storing a float |
| ftncmd | FORTRAN command identifier |
| ftnerr | FORTRAN error routine/identifier |
| fullword | IBM, a four-byte fullword |
| fullwords | IBM, four-byte fullwords |
| gconv | glibc gconv character-set conversion module |
| gconvert | character-set convert function name |
| gdinfo | graphics-device information identifier |
| getfd | getfd, get-file-descriptor routine name |
| getid | getid, get-identifier routine name |
| getspace | GETSPACE, memory-allocation routine name |
| hrdwre | vowel-dropped identifier for hardware |
| iconv | Unix character-set conversion utility |
| iconvert | image-format conversion utility |
| interdata | Interdata minicomputer family |
| interlisp | Interlisp, a Lisp dialect and environment |
| intraprocess | within a single process |
| intraprocessor | within one processor |
| iortn | I/O routine (mainframe abbreviation) |
| iowt | I/O wait (mainframe abbreviation) |
| keywd | abbreviated form of keyword |
| keywrd | abbreviated form of keyword |
| lbinit | library-initialization routine identifier |
| lconvert | conversion routine identifier |
| lcsymbol | symbol-table identifier |
| ldinfo | AIX loader information structure (ld_info) |
| linenumber | line number (manual/listing token) |
| linenumbers | line numbers (manual/listing token) |
| linerange | line range (editor/manual token) |
| linkedit | link-edit, IBM linkage-editor step |
| linkedited | link-edited, processed by the linkage editor |
| linkediting | link-editing |
| linkeditor | linkage editor |
| linkeditted | link-edited (doubled-t spelling) |
| linkeditting | link-editing (doubled-t spelling) |
| loadinfo | load information (manual token) |
| loadspecs | load specifications (manual token) |
The other lists filed alongside this one.
