The rapid expansion of information technology (IT) has made a huge difference in our life, and even in our language. We present some of the most common IT terms that now are a part of our lingo and we take them for granted. Do you really know the actual meaning of such words?

1. App or Application

Actual meaning: Putting a formal request to an authority or the action of putting something into operation.
IT meaning: A program, or group of programs, that is designed for the end user.

2. Backup

Actual meaning: To move into a position behind (a teammate) in order to assist on a play.
IT meaning: To copy files to another media as a precautionary measure, in case the first media fails.

3. Browser

Actual meaning: A person who looks at the things being sold in a store to see if there is something worth buying.
IT meaning: A software program that translates and allows you to view HTML files.

4. Crash

Actual meaning: To make a loud noise by falling, hitting something.
IT meaning: When your system fails to perform and is out of order with a major fault.

5. Cookies

Actual meaning: A sweet baked food that is usually small, flat, and round and is made from flour and sugar.
IT meaning: Text files that visited Web sites store on you computer’s hard disk.

6. Format

Actual meaning: The form, design, or arrangement of something.
IT meaning: The way in which information is stored on a computer disk.

7. Font

Actual meaning: A receptacle for holy water.
IT meaning: All the characters in a particular typeface.

8. Hang

Actual meaning: To fasten to some elevated point without support from below.
IT meaning: A major flaw that interferes with the performance of the system.

9. Menu

Actual meaning: A list of the foods that may be ordered at a restaurant.
IT meaning: In Microsoft Word, pull-down menus give a choice of options to make it easier to use the program eg File, Edit.

10. Notification

Actual meaning: something that gives official information to someone.
IT meaning: The information that you get from your software interface.

11. PC

Actual meaning: [Latin post cibum] after a meal.
IT meaning: Personal Computer

12. Server

Actual meaning: a person who brings your food and drinks at a restaurant : a waiter or waitress.
IT meaning: The main computer in a network which provides files and services that are used by the other computers.

13. Virus

Actual meaning: An extremely small living thing that causes a disease and that spreads from one person or animal to another.
IT meaning: A program that is designed to harm a computer by deleting data, ruining files, etc., and that can be spread secretly from one computer to another.

14. Web

Actual Meaning: a net made from silk threads woven together by a spider.
IT meaning: In IT it refers to the Internet, like I was surfing the Internet or surfing the web.