Here’s a glossary general IT terms and abbreviation
📘 IT DICTIONARY
A
AAC (Advanced Audio Codec) – Digital audio compression format.
AC (Alternating Current) – Electrical current that periodically reverses direction.
AC Adapter – External power supply converting AC to DC.
Access Point (AP) – Device providing wireless network access.
Active Cooling – Cooling using fans or pumps.
Adapter – Device converting one connection type to another.
Address Bus – Hardware pathway for memory addressing.
Admin (Administrator) – User with full system privileges.
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) – Encryption algorithm.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) – Machine-based intelligence simulation.
Algorithm – Step-by-step problem-solving instructions.
Aliasing – Visual distortion from insufficient resolution.
ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) – CPU calculation component.
AMOLED – OLED display with active matrix control.
Ampere (A) – Electrical current measurement unit.
API (Application Programming Interface) – Software communication interface.
APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) – CPU and GPU on one chip.
ARM Architecture – Energy-efficient processor design.
ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) – Maps IP to MAC addresses.
Array – Ordered data structure.
ASIC – Custom-purpose chip.
Aspect Ratio – Width-to-height display ratio.
ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) – Storage interface standard.
ATX – Motherboard and power supply form factor.
Authentication – Identity verification process.
Auto-Update – Automatic software updating.
AV (Audio Visual) – Sound and video technologies.
B
Backlight – Illumination behind LCD screens.
Bandwidth – Maximum data transfer capacity.
Baseband – Original transmission frequency.
Battery Cycle – One full charge and discharge.
Benchmark – Performance testing measurement.
Beta Software – Pre-release testing version.
BIOS (Basic Input Output System) – Firmware starting a computer.
Bit – Smallest digital data unit.
Bitcoin Mining – Cryptocurrency processing using computing power.
Bluetooth – Short-range wireless communication.
Boot – Starting a computer.
Bootloader – Program loading operating system.
Botnet – Network of compromised computers.
bps – Bits per second.
Brightness (Nits) – Display luminance measurement.
Broadband – High-speed internet connection.
Buffer – Temporary data storage area.
Bus – Data communication pathway.
Byte – Eight bits.
C
Cache – High-speed temporary storage.
कैश Miss – When requested data isn’t in cache.
CAD (Computer-Aided Design) – Design software technology.
Capacitor – Electrical energy storage component.
Capacitive Touch – Touchscreen using electrical conductivity.
Captcha – Human verification test.
CAS Latency – RAM timing delay.
CDN (Content Delivery Network) – Distributed web servers.
Chipset – Motherboard communication controller.
Clock Speed – CPU cycles per second.
Cloud Computing – Internet-based computing resources.
Cluster – Group of connected computers.
CMOS – Motherboard memory storing BIOS settings.
Codec – Audio/video encoding and decoding system.
Command Line – Text-based system interface.
Compression – Reducing file size.
Computer Vision – AI interpreting images.
Container – Lightweight virtualised application.
Cookie – Website data stored locally.
Cooling Fan – Airflow temperature control device.
Core – Independent CPU processing unit.
CPU (Central Processing Unit) – Main processor.
Crash – System failure.
CUDA – Parallel computing platform.
Cybersecurity – Protection of digital systems.
D
DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) – Converts digital signals to analog.
Dark Mode – Low-light user interface theme.
Data Bus – Pathway transferring data.
Data Center – Facility housing servers.
Database – Structured data collection.
Debugging – Finding and fixing errors.
Deep Learning – Neural network machine learning.
Default Settings – Original configuration.
DHCP – Automatic IP assignment protocol.
Die Shrink – Smaller semiconductor manufacturing process.
Digital Signal – Binary data transmission.
DIMM – Desktop RAM module.
DirectX – Graphics API.
Disk Image – Complete data copy of storage.
DisplayPort – Digital display interface.
DNS – Domain name translation system.
Docking Station – Device expansion hub.
Driver – Hardware communication software.
DRAM – Dynamic random access memory.
E
ECC Memory – Error-correcting RAM.
Edge Computing – Processing near data source.
eGPU – External graphics card.
eMMC – Embedded flash storage.
Encryption – Securing data via encoding.
Endpoint – Network-connected device.
Ethernet – Wired networking standard.
Expansion Card – Additional hardware component.
ExFAT – File system format.
F
Factory Reset – Restore original settings.
Failover – Backup system activation.
Fan Curve – Cooling speed profile.
Fast Charging – Rapid battery charging.
Fiber Optic – Light-based data transmission.
File System – Data storage organisation.
Firmware – Embedded hardware software.
Firewall – Network security filter.
Flash Memory – Non-volatile storage.
Floating Point – Decimal number processing.
FPS (Frames Per Second) – Frame display rate.
FreeSync – Adaptive display sync technology.
G
GHz (Gigahertz) – Frequency measurement.
GPU – Graphics processor.
GDDR – Graphics memory type.
Gesture Control – Motion-based input.
Gigabit Ethernet – 1 Gbps networking.
GUI – Graphical user interface.
H
Haptic Feedback – Touch vibration response.
Hard Drive (HDD) – Mechanical storage device.
Hash – One-way encryption output.
Heat Sink – Passive cooling component.
HDMI – Audio/video interface.
HDR – High dynamic range display.
Hertz (Hz) – Frequency unit.
Hotspot – Shared internet connection.
HTTP / HTTPS – Web communication protocols.
Hybrid Storage – Combined SSD and HDD.
I
I/O (Input/Output) – Data communication processes.
IaaS – Cloud infrastructure service.
IDE – Development environment.
Idle State – Low activity mode.
IPS Display – LCD with wide viewing angles.
IP Address – Network identifier.
IoT – Connected smart devices.
ISP – Internet provider.
J
Jitter – Network latency variation.
JPEG – Image compression format.
JTAG – Hardware debugging interface.
K
Kernel – Core operating system component.
Keycap – Keyboard key cover.
Keystroke – Single key press.
KVM Switch – Multi-computer control device.
L
LAN – Local network.
Latency – Delay in response.
LCD – Liquid crystal display.
LED – Light emitting diode.
Li-Ion Battery – Rechargeable battery type.
Linux – Open-source operating system.
Load Balancing – Traffic distribution method.
Login – User authentication process.
LTE – Mobile network standard.
M
Machine Learning – AI learning from data.
MAC Address – Hardware network ID.
Malware – Malicious software.
mAh – Battery capacity unit.
Mechanical Keyboard – Keyboard with physical switches.
Mesh Wi-Fi – Multi-node wireless system.
Microcontroller – Small embedded processor.
MicroLED – Advanced display tech.
Modem – Internet signal converter.
Motherboard – Main circuit board.
Multi-Core – Multiple CPU cores.
MU-MIMO – Multi-device wireless transmission.
N
NAND Flash – Storage memory type.
NAS – Network storage device.
NAT – Network address translation.
NFC – Short-range wireless communication.
NIC – Network interface card.
Nit – Brightness unit.
Node – Network connection point.
NVMe – High-speed storage interface.
O
OLED – Self-emitting display technology.
Open Source – Public software code.
Operating System (OS) – System control software.
Overclocking – Running hardware faster.
P
Packet – Unit of network data.
Patch – Software fix update.
PCIe – Expansion interface.
Peripheral – External device.
Phishing – Fraudulent data theft attempt.
Pixel – Smallest display unit.
Plug-and-Play – Automatic device detection.
PoE – Power over Ethernet.
Port – Connection interface.
Power Supply (PSU) – Electrical converter.
Protocol – Communication rules.
Proxy Server – Intermediate network server.
Q
QoS – Network traffic prioritisation.
Quantum Computing – Advanced computing model.
Queue – Ordered processing list.
R
RAID – Multi-drive configuration.
RAM – Temporary memory.
Ray Tracing – Realistic lighting rendering.
Refresh Rate – Screen update frequency.
Rendering – Generating images from data.
Resolution – Pixel dimensions.
Router – Network traffic controller.
RPM – Rotations per minute.
S
SaaS – Cloud software delivery.
SATA – Storage interface.
Scaling – Adjusting resolution.
Script – Automated command sequence.
Secure Boot – Trusted startup process.
Server – Resource-providing computer.
Shader – Graphics rendering program.
SIM – Mobile network card.
Sleep Mode – Low power state.
Smart Home – Connected home devices.
SoC – System on chip.
Software – Programs and data.
Solid State Drive (SSD) – Flash storage device.
Spam – Unwanted messages.
Streaming – Real-time media playback.
Subnet – Network subdivision.
Switch – Network connection device.
T
TB (Terabyte) – Storage capacity unit.
TCP/IP – Internet protocol suite.
TDP – Thermal design power.
Tensor Core – AI GPU processing unit.
Thermal Paste – Heat transfer compound.
Thread – CPU execution sequence.
Thunderbolt – High-speed interface.
Touchscreen – Touch input display.
Trojan – Malware disguised as software.
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) – Security chip.
U
UI – User interface.
Ultrabook – Thin lightweight laptop.
UPS – Backup power supply.
USB – Universal connection standard.
UWB – Ultra-wideband wireless.
UX – User experience.
V
Virtual Machine – Simulated computer.
Virtual Reality (VR) – Immersive digital environment.
Virus – Malicious program.
VPN – Secure private network.
Voltage (V) – Electrical potential measurement.
W
WAN – Wide area network.
Wearables – Body-worn electronics.
Webcam – Video camera for computers.
Wi-Fi – Wireless networking technology.
Wireless Charging – Inductive power transfer.
WLAN – Wireless local network.
Workstation – High-performance computer.
X
XMP – Memory overclock profile.
XML – Data markup language.
Y
YUV – Video colour encoding format.
Z
Zero-Day – Newly discovered vulnerability.
Zip File – Compressed archive format.
Published 17th Feb. 2026