< jargon > /o'bend/, /*-bend'/ ABnormal END. Abnormal termination (of software ); crash ; lossage . Derives from an error message on the IBM 360 ; used jokingly by hackers but seriously mainly by code grinder s. Usually capitalised, but may appear as "abend". Hackers will try to persuade you that ABEND is called "abend" because it is what system operators do to the computer late on Friday when they want to call it a day, and hence is from the German "Abend" = "Evening".
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(1994-11-08)