/fod/ [Abbreviation for "Finger of Death", originally a spell-name from fantasy gaming] To terminate with extreme prejudice and with no regard for other people. From MUD s where the wizard command "FOD < player >" results in the immediate and total death of < player >, usually as punishment for obnoxious behaviour. This usage migrated to other circumstances, such as "I'm going to fod the process that is burning all the cycles." Compare gun .
In aviation, FOD means Foreign Object Damage, e.g. what happens when a jet engine sucks up a rock on the runway or a bird in flight. Finger of Death is a distressingly apt description of what this generally does to the engine.
[ Jargon File ]