< object-oriented > In object-oriented programming , an instance of the data structure and behaviour defined by the object's class . Each object has its own values for the instance variables of its class and can respond to the methods defined by its class.
For example, an object of the "Point" class might have instance variables "x" and "y" and might respond to the "plot" method by drawing a dot on the screen at those coordinates.
(2004-01-26)