unix
/ˈjuː.nɪks/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.31 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
An operating system that shares the original source code by Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson.
name
An operating system largely compatible with Unix that qualifies for use of the UNIX trademark, currently owned by The Open Group.
noun
Any of the above plus Unix-like operating systems similar to Unix but not qualifying for use of the UNIX trademark.
Informal
name
Alternative letter-case form of Unix.
noun
Alternative form of Unix.
Example Sentences
- "GNU is not Unix."
- "The Linux kernel operating system is one of the most popular Unixes."
- "The successful candidate will have a BS in Computer Science (MS preferred) and 4–7 years experience with the UNIX development environment using high level tools which UNIX provides."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mel-der. Proto-Indo-European *ml̥tós? Proto-Italic *moltos Latin multi- Proto-Indo-European *pel-der.? Latin -plex Latin multiplexlbor. English multiplexed Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Latin in- Ancient Greek μορφή (morphḗ)der.? Latin fōrma Latin fōrmō Latin īnfōrmō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Late Latin īnfōrmātiōder. Middle English enformacioun English information Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Latin putus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin putō Latin computō Latin computārelbor. French computerbor. English computing Proto-Indo-European *ser-der.? Proto-Italic *serwos Latin servus Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin -itia Latin servitiumbor. Old French servisebor. Old English serfis Middle English servise English service English Multiplexed Information and Computing Service English Multics ▲ English eunuchinflu. English Unix A pun on Multics to sound like eunuchs, as Unix was considered to be an emasculated Multics (see multi- and uni-). Likely coined by Canadian computer scientist Brian Kernighan in 1970.
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Computing.