NIBBLE


Meaning of NIBBLE in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈnɪbl ]

noun Also written nybble (Science and Technology) In computing jargon, half a byte (four 'bits') of information. Etymology: Formed humorously on byte, treating it as the same word as bite; something which is only half as big as a byte. History and Usage: Nibble began as a piece of computer programmers' slang in the seventies and soon found its way into print in technical sources. It remains largely an 'in' joke in computing, but sometimes appears in popular magazines for enthusiasts and explanations of computing for the layperson. The quarter-frame message breaks down the SMPTE number into 'nibbles', or pieces of bytes (I didn't make this up), and the second byte of each message is one nibble. Keyboard Mar. 1990, p. 94

English colloquial dictionary, new words.      Английский разговорный словарь - новые слова.