2D 2-Dimensional
3D 3-Dimensional
3M Minnesota
Mining and Manufacturing
4GL Fourth
Generation Language
4H Head,
Heart, Hands, Health
4WD Four
wheel Drive (see also FWD)
A Aftermath
AA Affirmative
Action committee
AA Alcoholics
Anonymous
AA Antiaircraft
Artillery
AA Associate
in Accounting
A&A Astronomy
and Astrophysics [Space]
AA Automobile
Association [England]
AAA American
Automobile Association
AAAL American
Academy of Arts and Letters
AAAS American
Association for the Advancement of Science
AAII American
Association of Individual Investors
AAMSI American
Association for Medical Systems Informatics
AAO Anglo-Australian
Observatory [Space]
AAP Affirmative
Action Program
AARC Anglo-American
Cataloging Rules
AARN Australian
Academic Research Network [Networking]
AARP American
Association of Retired Persons
AAS American
Astronomical Society [Space]
AAVSO American
Association of Variable Star Observers [Space]
AB ABle
seaman
ABA American
Bar Association
ABA American
Basketball Association
ABA American
Booksellers Association
ABBR ABBReviation
ABC American
Broadcasting Company [Corporate name]
AC Alternating
Current (ac, see also DC)
AC Ante
Christum (before Christ)
AC Ante
Cibum (before meals)
ACAA Agricultural
Conservation and Adjustment Administration
ACAWS Advisory,
Caution, And Warning System
ACBL American
Contract Bridge League
ACC Argonne
Code Center
ACCS Army
Command and Control System
ACD Automatic
Call Distributor [Telephony]
ACE Advanced
Composition Explorer [Space]
ACE Advanced
Computing Environments [Corporate name]
ACE Automatic
Calibration and Equalization
ACHEFT Automated
ClearingHouse Electronic Funds Transfer
ACK ACKnowledge
ACL Advanced
Cmos Logic
ACLU American
Civil Liberties Union
ACM Association
for Computing Machinery
ACRV Assured
Crew Return Vehicle (or) Astronaut Crew Rescue Vehicle [Space]
ACS Advanced
Communications System
ACSE Association
Control Service Entity (ISO/CCITT layer 7)
ACT Action
for Children's Television (in Cambridge, MA)
ACT American
Conservatory Theater
ACTS Advanced
Communications Technology Satellite
ACTS Automatic
Coin Telephone Service [Telephony]
ACU Alarm
Control Unit
ACU Automatic
Call Unit [Telephony]
ACW Alternating
Continuous Waves
AD After
Date
A/D Analog
to Digital converter (see ADC)
AD Anno
Domini (in the year of our Lord)
AD Application
Development
ADAP Alzheimer's
disease-associated protein
ADAP American
Discount Auto Parts [Corporate name]
ADB A
DeBugger
ADB Apple
Desktop Bus
ADC Analog
to Digital Converter
ADCI Automatic
Display Call Indicator
AD&D Advanced
Dungeons & Dragons
ADF Automatic
Direction Finder
ADM ADMiral
ADP Adenosine
Di-Phosphate
ADP Administrative
Data Processing
ADP Advanced
Data Processing
ADPCM Pulse
Code Modulation with Adaptive Quantization
ADS Application
Development System
ADSR Attack
Decay Sustain Release
ADT Abstract
Data Type
ADT Atlantic
Daylight Time
AE Application
Execution
AEA American
Electronics Association
AEC Atomic
Energy Commission
AEF American
Expeditionary Force (see BEF)
AEGIS Advanced
Electronic Guidance and Instrumentation System
AF Adventures
in Fantasy
AF Air
Force
AF Audio
Frequency
AFADS Automatic
Force Adjustment Data System
AFATDS Advanced
Field Artillery Tactical Data System
AFB Air
Force Base
AFC American
Football Conference
AFC Automatic
Flight Control
AFC Automatic
Frequency Control
AFCAC Air
Force Computer Acquisition Center
AFCC Air
Force Communications Command
AFGE American
Federation of Government Employees
AFIPS American
Federation of Information Processing Societies
AFL American
Federation of Labor
AFL American
Football League
AFLCIO American
Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
AFNOR Association
Francaise de NORmalization
AFP Appletalk
Filing Protocol
AFS Andrew
File System
AFSC Air
Force Systems Command
AFSCME American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
AFTRA American
Federation of Television and Radio Artists
AG Adjutant
General
AG Arcade
Game
AG Attorney
General
AGCT Army
General Classification Test
AGN Active
Galactic Nucleus [Space]
AHL American
Hockey League
AHQ Air
HeadQuarters
AI Artificial
Intelligence
AIAA American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics [Space]
AIC Automatic
Intercept Center
AID Agency
for International Development
AIDDE Ames'
Interactive Dynamic Display Editor
AIDS Acquired
ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome
AIOD Automatic
Identification Outward Dialing
AIS Automatic
Intercept System
AIX Advanced
Interactive eXecutive (IBM's name for UNIX)
AJ Astronomical
Journal [Space]
AK Alaska
AKA Also
Known As
AL Alabama
[US state postal designation]
AL American
League (baseball)
ALA American
Library Association
ALA Automobile
Legal Association
ALBM Air-to-Land
Ballistic Missile
ALC Automatic
Load Control
ALGOL ALGOrithmic
Language
ALIT Automatic
Line Insulation Testing [Telephony]
ALPO Association
of Lunar and Planetary Observers [Space]
ALS Advanced
Launch System [Space]
ALU Arithmetic
Logic Unit
A&M Agricultural
and Mechanical
AM Amplitude
Modulation
AM Ante
Meridiem (before noon)
AMA American
Medical Association
AMA Automatic
Message Accounting [Telephony]
AMARC Automatic
Message Accounting Recording Center
AMBA Association
of Master of Business Administration
AMC Albany
Medical College
AMC American
Motors Corporation(?) [Corporate name]
AMC Appalachian
Mountain Club
AMD Advanced
Micro Devices [Corporate name]
AMEX AMerican
EXpress [Corporate name]
AMI Alternate
Mark Inversion (see also NRZ, NRZI, B8ZS)
AMORC Ancient
Mystic Order Rosae Crucis
AMP Adenosine
MonoPhosphate
AMPAS Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
AMPAS Acedemy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
AMRAAM Advanced
Medium Range Air-To-Air Missile
AMROC American
Rocket Company [Space]
AMSAT radio
AMateur SATellite corp.
AMU Atomic
Mass Unit
AMVET AMerican
VETeran
ANA American
Nurses Association
ANAC Automatic
Number Announcemnt Circuit [Telephony]
ANC All
Number Calling [Telephony]
ANC Army
Nurse Corps
ANDF Architecture-Neural
Distribution Format
ANF Automatic
Number Forwarding [Telephony]
ANG Air
National Guard
ANI Automatic
Number Identification (see also: CLID) [Telephony]
ANL Argonne
National Laboratory
ANOVA ANalysis
Of VAriance
ANPA American
Newspaper Publishers Association
ANSI American
National Standards Institute
ANZUS Australia,
New Zealand, United States
AO Account
Of
AOA Abort
Once Around [NASA, Shuttle]
AOA Abort
Once Around (Shuttle abort plan) [Space]
AOL Absent
Over Leave (see AWOL)
AOS Academic
Operating System
AOS Alternate
Operator Service [Telephony]
A/P Accounts
Payable
AP Additional
Premium
AP All
Points
AP Associated
Press [Corporate name]
APA All
Points Addressable
APA American
Psychological Association
APB All
Points Bulletin
APDA Apple
Programmers and Developers Association
API Application
Programming Interface
APICS American
Production and Inventory Control Society
Ap.J Astrophysical
Journal [Space]
APL A
Programming Language
APL acute
promyelocytic leukemia [Disease]
APO Alpha
Phi Omega, service fraternity
APO Army
Post Office
APP Applications
Portability Profile
APPC Advanced
Peer-to-Peer Communications
APR Annual
Percentage Rate (as in loan interest)
APSE Ada
Programming Support Environment
APU Auxiliary
Power Unit [Space]
AQ Accumulator-Quotient
register
A/R Accounts
Receivable
AR Address
Register
AR Arkansas
ARC AIDS-related
complex
ARC American
Red Cross
ARC Ames
Research Center (NASA) [Space]
ARCNET Attached
Resource Computer local area NETwork
ARO After
Receipt of Order
ARP Address
Resolution Protocol
ARPA Advanced
Research Projects Agency (of the DoD, see DARPA)
ARPANET ARPA (q.v.) NETwork
ARRL Amateur
Radio Relay League
ARV American
Revised Version
AS Anglo-Saxon
ASA Acetyl
Salicylic Acid
ASAP As
Soon As Possible
ASC Accredited
Standards Committee
ASCAP American
Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers
ASCC Automatic
Sequence-Controlled Calculator
ASCII American
Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASDIC Anti-Submarine
Detection Investigation Committee (British for sonar)
ASDSP Application-Specific
Digital Signal Processor
ASG Automated
Sciences Group
ASHRAE Amer.
Soc. of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-cond. Engineers, inc.
ASIC Application
Specific Integrated Circuit
ASME American
Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASN Abstract
Syntax Notation One (ISO/CCITT ASN.1)
ASP Aggregated
Switch Procurement
ASRM Advanced
Solid Rocket Motor [Space]
ASSR Autonomous
Soviet Socialist Republic
AST Atlantic
Standard Time
ASV American
Standard Version
AT Atlantic
Time
ATA Automatic
Trouble Analysis
ATACC Advanced
Tactical Air Command Central
ATB Advanced
Technology Bomber (stealth bomber)
ATC Air
Traffic Control
ATDRS Advanced
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite [Space]
ATF Advanced
Technology Fighter
ATIS Atherton
Tools Interface Specification
ATLAS Atmospheric
Laboratory for Applications and Science [Space]
ATM Amateur
Telescope Maker [Space]
ATM Asynchronous
Transfer Mode
ATM Automatic
Teller Machine
ATO Abort
To Orbit [NASA, Shuttle]
ATO Abort
To Orbit (Shuttle abort plan) [Space]
ATOMS AT&t
Optimized Materials Simulator
ATP Adenosine
TriPhosphate
ATPCO Airline
Tariff Publishing COmpany
AT&T American
Telephone & Telegraph [Corporate name]
ATT American
Telephone & Telegraph (normally written AT&T when seperate)
ATTIS American
Telephone and Telegraph Information Systems [AT&T] (Division)
ATV All
Terrain Vehicle
AU Astronomical
Unit (93,000,000 miles) [Space]
AU Astronomical
Unit [Space]
AUI Attachment
Universal Interface
AURA Association
of Universities for Research in Astronomy [Space]
AUS Army
of the United States
AUTODIN AUTOmatic DIgital Network
AUTOVON AUTOmatic VOice Network
AV AudioVisual
AVLIS Atomic
Vapor Laser Isotope Separation
AWACS Airborne
Warnings And Control Systems
AWEA American
Wind Energy Association
AWK al
Aho, peter Weinberger, brian Kernighan (pattern scanning language)
AWOL Absent
WithOut Leave (also Absent Without Official Leave) (see AOL)
AW&ST Aviation
Week and Space Technology (a.k.a. AvLeak) [Space]
AXAF Advanced
X-ray Astrophysics Facility [Space]
AZ Arizona
B Book
B8ZS Binary
8 Zero Substitution (see also NRZ, NRZI, AMI)
BA Bachelor
of Arts
BACH Business
Alliance for Commerce in Hemp
BAFO Best
And Final Offer
BARRNet Bay Area Regional Research Network
(SF Bay Area)
BASIC Beginner's
All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code
BATSE Burst
And Transient Source Experiment (on GRO) [Space]
BB Bases
on Balls
BB Best
of Breed
BB Bunnies
and Burrows
BBA Bachelor
of Business Administration
BBB Better
Business Bureau
BBC British
Broadcasting Corporation
BBL Barrel
BBN Bolt,
Beranek, and Newman, Inc. [Corporate name]
BBXRT Broad-Band
X-Ray Telescope (ASTRO package) [Space]
BC Battlecars
BC Before
Christ
BC British
Columbia
BC/BS Blue
Cross/Blue Shield
BCD Bad
Conduct Discharge
BCD Binary
Coded Decimal
BCDIC Binary
Coded Decimal Interchange Code
BCE Before
the Common Era (substitute for BC)
BCNU Be
Seeing You [Net jargon]
BCP Byte
Controlled Protocols
BCPL Basic
Combined Programming Language
BCS Bachelor
of Commercial Science
BCS Binary
Compatibility Standard
BCS Boston
Computer Society
BCS British
Computer Society
BD Bachelor
of Divinity
BD Bank
Draft
BD Bills
Discounted
BD&D Basic
Dungeons & Dragons
BDF Binary
Distribution Format
BDT Billing
Data Transmitter
BE Bill
of Exchange
BEF British
Expeditionary Force (see AEF)
BELCORE BELL COmmunications REsearch
BEM Bug
Eyed Monster
BEM Bug-Eyed
Monster [Space]
BENELUX BElgium, NEtherlands, and
LUXembourg
BER Bit
Error Rate
BERT Bit
Error Rate Test
BEST Borland
Enhanced Support and Training
BF Brought
Forward
BFA Bachelor
of Fine Arts
BFD Bristol
(RI) Fire Department (probably typical of any town starting "B")
BH Black
Hole [Space]
BH Boot
Hill
BHP Brake
HorsePower
BICS Building
Industry Consulting Services [Telephony]
BID Bis
In Die (twice a day)
BIMA Berkeley
Illinois Maryland Array [Space]
BIOS Basic
Input Output System
BIS Business
Information System
BISDN Broadband
ISDN (q.v.) [Telephony]
BiSync Binary
Synchronous Communications (BSC is preferred) [IBM]
Bit BInary
digiT
BITNET Because
It's Time Network
BLAST BLocked
ASynchronous Transmission
BLERT BLock
Error Rate Test
BLF Busy
Lamp Field [Telephony]
BLT Bacon,
Lettuce, and Tomato (sandwich)
BLT BLock
Transfer [Instruction]
BLT Branch
Less Than [Instruction]
BM Basal
Metabolism
BM Bowel
Movement
BMA Bank
Marketing Association
BMEWS Ballistic
Missile Early Warning
BMO Ballistic
Missile Office
BMOC Big
Man On Campus
BMR Basal
Metabolism Rate
BNC Bayonet
Neill Concelman (connector) [Electronics] (see also TNC)
BNF Bachus-Naur
Form
BO Body
Odor
BO Branch
Office
BO Buyer's
Option
BOC Bell
Operating Company
BOD Board
Of Directors
BOF Birds
Of a Feather
BOM Bill
Of Materials
BOOTP Bootstrap
Protocol [Internet]
BOQ Bachelor
Officers' Quarters
BOS Business
Office Supervisor
BOSIX Biin
Open System Interface eXtension
BP Blood
Pressure
BP British
Petroleum
BP British
Pharmacopoeia
BPI Bits
Per Inch
BPL Boston
Public Library
BPL Branch
if PLus [Instruction]
BPOE Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks
BPS Bits
Per Second
BR Bills
Receivable
BR British
Rail
BRA Boston
Redevelopment Authority
BRI Basic
Rate Interface (ISDN) [Telephony]
BRIEF Basic
Reconfigurable Interactive Editing Facility
BRL army
Ballistic Research Laboratory
BRS Bibliographic
Retrieval Service
BS Bachelor
of Science
BS Bill
of Sale
BSA Birmingham
Small Arms
BSA Boy
Scouts of America
BSc Bachelor
of SCience
BSC Binary
Synchronous Communications (also sometimes BiSync) [IBM]
BSD Berkeley
Software Distribution
BSN Bachelor
of Science in Nursing
BSS Block
Started by Symbol
BSTJ Bell
System Technical Journal
BT British
Telecom
BTAM Basic
Telecommunications Access Method [IBM]
BThU British
Thermal Unit (BTU {q.v.} is preferred)
BTL Bell
Telephone Laboratories
BTO Bachman
Turner Overdrive
BTU British
Thermal Unit
BTW By
The Way [Net jargon]
BU Boston
University
BUF B-52
bomber ("Big Ugly Fellow") [USAF]
BV Blessed
Virgin
BWI Baltimore-Washington
International (airport)
BWI British
West Indies
BX Base
eXchange (see also PX)
c centi-
(metric 1/100)
C programming
language (successor to B, which was based on BCPL)
CA California
CA Chartered
Accountant
CA Chief
Accountant
CA Chronological
Age
CA Collision
Avoidance (as in CSMA/CA (q.v.))
CAB Civil
Aeronautics Board
CACM Communications
of the Association for Computing Machinery
CAD Computer
Aided Design (sometimes seen as CAD/CAM)
CAD Computer
Aided Dispatching
CAE Common
Applications Environment
CAE Computer
Aided Engineering
CAI Computer
Aided Instruction
CAIS Common
Apse Interface Specification
CALS Computer-aided
Acquisition and Logistics Support
CAM Computer
Aided Management
CAM Computer
Aided Manufacturing (sometimes seen as CAD/CAM)
CAM Content
Addressable Memory
CAMA Centralized
Automatic Message Accounting [Telephony]
CAMP Campaign
Against Marijuana Planting
CAP Civil
Air Patrol
CAP Columbia
Appletalk Package
CAR Contents
of the Address part of the Register (LISP)
CARE Committee
on American Relief in Europe
CARP California
Air Resources Board
CASE Computer
Aided Software Engineering
CASSIS Classification
and Search Support Information System
CAT Computer-Aided
Tomography
CATIS Common
Applications and Tools Integration Services
CATV Common
Antenna TeleVision
CATV Community
Antenna TeleVision
CAVU Ceiling
And Visibility Unlimited
CB Citizens
Band radio
CBC Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation
CBD Cash
Before Delivery
CBD Commerce
Business Daily
CBEMA Computer
& Business Equipment Manufacturers Association
CBR Chemical,
Biological, Radiological warfare
CBS Columbia
Broadcasting System [Corporate name]
CBW Chemical
and Biological Warfare
CC C
(language) Compiler
CC Carbon
Copy
CCA Computer
Corporation of America [Corporate name]
CCAFS Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station [Space]
CCC Canadian
Committee on Cataloging
CCC Civil(ian)
Conservation Corps
CCC Command,
Control, and Communications (sometimes C^3)
CCC Concourse
Computer Center [MIT]
CCCCM CCC
CounterMeasures (sometimes C^3CM)
CCCI Command,
Control, Communications, and Intelligence
CCD Charge
Coupled Device (see CID)
CCD Charge-Coupled
Device [Space]
CCDS Centers
for the Commercial Development of Space [Space]
CCF Hundred
Cubic Feet
CCI Computer
Carrier Interrupt
CCI Computer
Consoles, Incorporated
CCIP Continuously
Computed Impact Point
CCIRN Coordinating
Committee for Intercontinental Research Networking
CCIS Common
Channel Interoffice Signaling [Telephony]
CCITT Comite'
Consultatif International Telegraphique et Telephonique
CCITT Consultative
Committee on International Telephony and Telegraphy
CCITT International
Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee
CCR Commitment,
Concurrency, and Recovery
CCR Creedence
Clearwater Revival [Music]
CCRI Community
College of Rhode Island [Corporate name]
CCRP Continuously
Computed Release Point
CCS Hundred
Call Seconds [Telephony]
CCS7 Common
Channel Signalling (version #7) [Telephony, AT&T]
CCSA Common
Control Switching Arrangement [Telephony]
CCTA Central
Computer and Telecommunications Agency
CCTV Closed
Circuit TeleVision
CD Carrier
Detect (properly DCD (q.v.)) (EIA RS-232-C)
CD Certificate
of Deposit
CD Civil
Defense
CD Collision
Detection (as in CSMA/CD (q.v.))
CD Compact
Disk
CDA Call
Data Accumulator
CDA Compound
Documents Architecture
CDC Centers
for Disease Control
CDC Control
Data Corporation, Inc. [Corporate name]
CDEV Control
panel DEVice
CDIAC Carbon
Dioxide Information Analysis Center
CDO Community
Dial Office
CDR CommanDeR
CDR Contents
of the Decrement part of the Register (LISP)
CD-ROM Compact
Disk Read Only Memory
CD-ROM Compact
Disk Read-Only Memory [Space]
CDSF Commercially
Developed Space Facility
CDT Central
Daylight Time
CDU Control
Display Unit
CE Chemical
Engineer
CE Civil
Engineer
CE Common
Era (substitute for AD)
CE Corps
of Engineers
CE Customer
Engineer (see also FE, SE)
CEA Commissariat
a l'Energie Atomique (Frenc Atomic Energy Commision)
CEA Council
of Economic Advisors
CEA County
Education Authority
CEC Commission
of the European Communities
CED Committee
for Economic Development
CELSS Controlled
Ecological Life Support System [Space]
CENS Centre
d'Etudes Nucleaires de Seclay
CENTO CENtral
Treaty Organization
CEO Chief
Executive Officer
CERFnet California Education and Research
Federation Network
CERN European
Organization for Nuclear Research
CERN organisation
(formerly Conseil) Europeenne pour la Recherche Nucleaires
CERT Computer
Emergency Response Team
CEVI Common
Equipment Voltage Indicator
CF Carry
Forward
CF Coin
First (payphone) [Telephony]
CF Cystic
Fibrosis [Disease]
CFA Center
For Astrophysics [Space]
CFC Chloro-FluoroCarbon
[Chemical]
CFC Combined
Federal Campaign
CFD Computational
Fluid Dynamics
CFHT Canada-France-Hawaii
Telescope [Space]
CFI Cost,
Freight, and Insurance
CFL Canadian
Football League
CFO Chief
Financial Officer
CG Coast
Guard
CG Commanding
General
CGA Color
Graphics Adapter
CGCT Compagnie
Generale de Constructions Telephoniques
CG&E Cincinnati
Gas & Electric
CGE Compagnie
Generale d'Electricite
CH Cardboard
Heroes
CH ClearingHouse
CH CourtHouse
CH Customs
House
CHA Champions
CHAP CHAnnel
Processor
CHARA Center
for High Angular Resolution Astronomy [Space]
CHI Chill: Adventures into the Unknown
CHOTS Corporate
Headquarters Office Technology System
CHP California
Highway Patrol
CI Cubic
Inches
CIA Central
Intelligence Agency [US Government]
CIA Culinary
Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY)
CIC Carrier
Identification Codes [Telephony] (10XXX codes)
CIC Committee
on Institutional Cooperation
CIC Coordination
and Information Center [CSNet]
CICA Competition
in Contracting Act
CICS Customer
Information Control System [IBM]
CID Caller
ID [Telephony] (see also: CLID, ANI)
CID Central
Institute for the Deaf
CID Charge
Injection Device (see CCD)
CID Computer
Integrated Design
CIDIN Common
Icao Data Interchange Network
CIM Computer
Integrated Manufacturing
CIO Chief
Information Officer
CIRRIS Cryogenic
InfraRed Radiance Instrument for Shuttle [Space]
CISC Complex
Instruction Set Computer
CIT California
Institute of Technology
CIT Case
Institute of Technology (part of CWRU, Cleveland, OH)
CIT Circumstellar
Imaging Telescope [Space]
CLASP Comprehensive
Logistics Automated Support Program
CLASS Custom
Local Area Signaling Service [Telephony]
CLI Command
Line Interpreter
CLID Calling
Line ID [Telephony] (see also: CID, ANI)
CLNP Connectionless-mode
Network Protocol
CLNS Connectionless-mode
Network Service
CLR Combined
Line and Recording
CLRC Circuit
Layout Record Card
CLU Chartered
Life Underwriter
CLUT Color
LookUp Table
cm centimeters
CM Command
Module (Apollo spacecraft) [Space]
CM Congregation
of the Mission
CMC Communication
Machinery Corp.
CMD Centralized
Message Distribution
CMIP Common
Management Information Protocol
CMIS Common
Management Information Services
CML Current
Model Logic
CMMU Cache/Memory
Management Unit
CMOS Complementary
Metal Oxide Semiconductor (see MOS)
CMOT Common
Management Information Services and Protocol Over TCP/IP
CMRR Common
Mode Rejection Ratio
CMS Circuit
Maintenance System
CMSgt Chief
Master Sergeant
CMU Carnegie-Mellon
University
CMYK Cyan,
Magenta, Yellow, blacK
CN Canadian
National [Corporate name, Railroading]
CN/A Customer
Name / Address [Telephony]
CNI Common
Network Interface [Telephony, AT&T] (Department of AT&T)
CNN Cable
News Network
CNO Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen
[Space]
CNO Chief
of Naval Operations
CNR Canadian
National Railways
CNR Carrier
to Noise Ratio
CNRI Corporation
for National Research Initiatives
CNRS Centre
National de la Recherche Scientifique (French National Center for Scientific
Research)
CNS Central
Nervous System
CNSR Comet
Nucleus Sample Return [Space]
CO Cash
Order
CO Central
Office [Telephony]
CO Colorado
CO Commanding
Officer
CO Conscientious
Objector
C/O in
Care Of
COB Close
Of Business
COBE COsmic
Background Explorer [Space]
COBOL COmmon
Business Oriented Language
COC Call
of Cthulhu
COCOT Customer
Owned, Coin Operated Telephone [Telephony]
COD Collect
On Delivery; Cash On Delivery
CODEC COder-DECoder
COER Central
Office Equipment Report
COLA Cost-Of-Living
Allowance
COM Computer
Output (on) Microfiche
COM Computer
Output (on) Microfilm
COMAS Central
Office Maintenance and Administration System
COMM Communications
COMPACT COMmercial Product ACquisition
Team
COMPTEL COMPton TELescope (on GRO) [Space]
COMSAT Communications
Satellite [Space]
CONACYT Consejo Nacional de Cienca Y
Tecnologia (Mexican National Council of Science and Technology)
CONS Connection-Oriented
Networking Service
CONS Connection-Oriented
Networking Session
CONS CONStruct
(LISP)
CORE COntrolled
Requirement Expression
CORN COmputer
Resource Nucleus
COS Corporation
for Open Systems
COSINE Cooperation
for Open Systems Interconnection Networking in Europe
COSMIC COmmon
System Main InterConnecting frame
COSMIC COmputer
Software Management and Information Center
COSMOS COmputer
System for Mainframe OperationS
COSTAR Corrective
Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement [Space]
COT Card
Or Tape (NCR)
CP Campus
Police (MIT, others probably too)
CP Canadian
Pacific
CP Chemically
Pure
CP Command
Post
CP Command
Processor
CP CoPy
CP the
Canadian Press
CPA Certified
Public Accountant
CPE Customer
Premises Equipment
CPE Customer
Provided Equipment
CPFF Cost
Plus Fixed Fee
CPI Characters
Per Inch
CPI Common
Programming Interface
CPL Combined
Programming Language
CPM Control
Program for Microcomputers (sometimes CP/M)
CPM Control
Program Monitor (sometimes CP/M)
CPO Chief
Petty Officer
CPO Chief
Post Office
CPR Canadian
Pacific Railway
CPS Characters
Per Second
CPSR Computer
Professionals for Social Responsibility
CPT CaPTain
CPU Central
Processing Unit
CPW Certified
Public Weigher
CQ Change
of Quarters
CR Carriage
Return (ASCII 15 octal)
CRA Cambridge
Redevelopment Authority
CRAF Comet
Rendezvous / Asteroid Flyby [Space]
CRAM Card
Random Access Memory (NCR, but maybe others)
CRC Chemical
Rubber Company
CRC Cyclic
Redundancy Check
CREG Concentrated
Range Extension with Gain
CREN The
Corporation for Research and Educational Networking (merge of BITNET and CSNet)
CRRES Combined
Release / Radiation Effects Satellite [Space]
CRRES Combined
Release and Radiation Effects Satellite [NASA]
CRT Cathode
Ray Tube (also generic reference to a terminal)
CRTC Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
C&S Chivalry
& Sorcery
CS Civil
Servant
CS Computer
Science; Computing Science
CS County
Seat
CSA Confederate
States of America
CSAB Computing
Sciences Accreditation Board
CSACS Centralized
Status, Alarm and Control System
CSC Computer
Sciences Corporation
CSDC Circuit
Switched Digital Capability
CSF Critical
Success Factor
CSI Commercial
Systems Integration
CSIS Canadian
Security and Intelligence Service
CSL Coin
Supervising Link
CSM Command
and Service Module (Apollo spacecraft) [Space]
CSM Command
Sergeant Major
CSMA Carrier
Sense Multiple Access
CSMA/CA Carrier Sense Multiple Access with
Collision Avoidance
CSMA/CD Carrier Sense Multiple Access with
Collision Detection
CSNET Computer
+ Science Network (merged with BITNET to make CREN)
CSO Central
Services Organization
CSOC Consolidated
Space Operations Center (at Colorado Springs)
CSP Control
Switching Point
CSR Control
and Status Register
CSR Customer
Service Representative [Telephony]
CSRG Computer
Systems Research Group
CSRS civil
Service Retirement System
CSS Customer
Switching System
CST Central
Standard Time
CSU Channel
Service Unit
CT Central
Time
C&T Communications
& Tracking [Space]
CT Connecticut
CTC Canadian
Transport Commission
CTC Centralized
Traffic Control [Railroading]
CTD Computing
and Telecommunications Division
CTIO Cerro
Tololo Inter-american Observatory
CTIO Cerro
Tololo Interamerican Observatory [Space]
CTNE Compania
Telefonica Nacional de Espana
CTS Clear
To Send (EIA RS-232-C)
CTS Compatible
Timesharing System
CTV Canadian
TeleVision network
CU Close-Up
CUA Common
User Access
CUL See
You Later [Net jargon]
CV Curriculum
Vitae
CW Car
Wars
CW Chemical
Warfare
CW Child
Welfare
CW Churchwarden
CW Churdwarden
CW Continuous
Wave
CWO Cash
With Order
CWO Chief
Warrant Officer
CWRU Case
Western Reserve University
CXI Common
X-windows Interface
CY Calendar
Year
CYO Catholic
Youth Organization
CZ Canal
Zone
D Depth
DA Days
after Acceptance
DA Department
of Agriculture
DA Deposit
Account
D/A Digital
to Analog converter
DA Directory
Assistance (/C = computerized, /M = Microfilm) [Telephony]
DA District
Attorney
DA Don't
Answer [Telephony] (may be more general)
DAC Digital
to Analog Converter
DA/C Directory
Assistance/Computerized
DACCS Digital
Access Cross Connect System [Telephony] (suspect, see DACS)
DACS Digital
Access Cross-connect System [Telephony]
DAD Draft
ADdendum
DAG Directed
Acyclic Graph
DAL Dedicated
Access Line [Telephony]
DA/M Directory
Assistance/Microfilm
DAP Division
Advisory Panel (of NSF (q.v.) DNCRI (q.v.))
DAR Daughters
of the American Revolution
DARE Drug
Abuse Resistance Education
DARPA Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (of the DoD, see also ARPA)
DASD Direct
Access Storage Device
DAT Digital
Audio Tape
DATA Defense
Air Transport Administration
DAV Disabled
American Veterans
DB DataBase
db decibel(s)
dba doing
business as
DBF DBase
Format
DBME DataBase
Managment Environment
dbms DataBase
Management System (rdbms for Relational ...)
DBRAD Data
Base Relational Application Directory
DC Direct
Current (dc, see also AC)
DC District
of Columbia
DCA Defense
Communications Agency
DCA Distributed
Communication Architecture
DCA Document
Content Architecture
DCC Descriptive
Cataloging Committee
DCCO Defense
Commercial Communications Office
DCD Data
Carrier Detect (sometimes CD (q.v.)) (EIA RS-232-C)
DCE Data
Communication Equipment
DCL Digital
Command Language
DCP Distributed
Communications Processor
DCTS Dimension
Custom Telephone Service
DD Daredevils
DD Data
Dictionary
DD Days
after Date
DD Demand
Draft
DD Dishonorable
Discharge
DD Disk
Drive
DD Doctor
of Divinity
D&D Dungeons
& Dragons
DDC Digital
Data Converter
DDCU DC-to-DC
Converter Unit [Space]
DDD Direct
Distance Dialing [Telephony] (principally US, elsewhere STD)
DDL Document
Description Language
DDN Defense
Data Network
DDP Distributed
Data Processing
DDS Dataphone
Digital Service [AT&T]
DDS Digital
Data Service
DDS Direct
Digital Service
DDS Doctor
of Dental Science
DDS Doctor
of Dental Surgery
DDT DEC
Debugging Tape
DDT Di-<something>
(pesticide)
DDT Dynamic
Debugging Technique
DE Delaware
DEA Drug
Enforcement Agency [US Government]
DEAR Department
of Energy Acquisition Regulation
DEC Digital
Equipment Corporation [Corporate name]
DECUS Digital
Equipment Corporation Users Society
DES Data
Encryption Standard [NIST]
DEW Distant
Early Warning (as in DEW Line)
DF Damage
Free
D/F Direction
Finding
DFC Distinguished
Flying Cross
DFD Data
Flow Diagram
DFE Data
Flow Editor
DFM Distinguished
Flying Medal
DFN Deutsche
Forschungsnetz Verein (German Research Network Association)
DFRF Dryden
Flight Research Facility [Space]
DFS Depth-First
Search
DFW Dallas-Ft.Worth
(regional airport)
DG Data
General [Corporate name]
DG Dei
Gratia (by the grace of God)
DG Director
General
DGSC Defense
General Supply Center
DHHS Department
of Health and Human Services
DHSS british
Department of Health and Social Security
DHSS Department
of Health and Social Security (British)
DIA Document
Interchange Architecture
DIAD (magnetic)
Drum Information Assembler / Dispatcher
DIAL Direct
Information Access Line
DIAS Defense
Automatic Integrated System
DID Direct
Inward Dialing [Telephony]
DIF Document
Interchange Format
DIN Deutsches
Institut fur Normung
DIRE Dire
Is Really Emacs
DIS Draft
International Standard [ISO]
DISA Data
Interchange Standards Association
DISOSS Distributed
Office Support System [IBM]
DIY Do
It Yourself
DJ Disc
Jockey
DLA Defense
Logistics Agency
DLI Data
Link Interface(?)
DLL Data
Link Layer [ISO OSI]
DLL Dial
Long Line equipment
DLO Dead
Letter Office
DM Dungeon
Master
DMA Direct
Memory Access
DMD Doctor
of Dental Medicine
DME Distance
Measuring Equipment
DMF Probably
part of an X.400 address in Europe
DMOS Diffusion
Metal Oxide Semiconductor (see MOS)
DMSP Defense
Meteorological Satellite Program [Space]
DMV Department
of Motor Vehicles
DMV Department
of Motor Vehicles (Calif)
DMZ DeMilitarized
Zone
DNA DeoxyriboNucleic
Acid
DNA Digital
Network Architecture [DEC]
DNCRI [NSF]
(q.v.) Division of Networking and Communications Research and Infrastructure
DNHR Dynamic
NonHierarchical Routing
DNIC Data
Network Identification Code [Telephony]
DNIS Dialed
Number Identification Service (see also DID) [Telephony]
DNL Director
of Naval Laboratories
DNR Dialed
Number Recorder [Telephony]
DNS Domain
Name System
DOA Dead
On Arrival
DOB Date
Of Birth
DOC Dynamic
Overload Control
DOD Department
Of Defense [US Government] (sometimes DoD)
DOE Department
of Energy [US Government]
DOHC Dual
OverHead Cams [Automotive]
DOMAIN Distributed
Operating Multi Access Interactive Network (Apollo)
DOS Disk
Operating System
DOT Department
Of Transportation [US Government]
DOT&E Director,
Operational Test and Evaluation
DOV Data
Over Voice [Telephony]
DOY Day
of Year
DP Data
Processing
DP Dial
Pulse [Telephony]
DP Displaced
Persons (expelled from native land)
DP Display
Postscript
DP Double
Penetration
DP Double
Play
DP Draft
Proposal
DPA Delegation
of Procurement Authority
DPANS Draft
Proposed American National Standard
DPI Dots
Per Inch
DPS Display
PostScript
DQ Dairy
Queen
DQ Dragon
Quest
DQDB Distributed
Queue Dual Bus (IEEE 802.6) [Telephony, Networking]
DQL Database
Query Language
DR Dead
Reckoning
DR Dining
Room
DRAM Dynamic
Random Access Memory (as opposed to static RAM)
DRD Data
Reading Device
DRE Directional
Reservation Equipment
DRG Democratic
Republic of Germany (East Germany)
DRI Defense
Research Internet
DRI Digital
Research, Incorporated [Corporate name]
d.s. died
single [Genealogy]
DS Double-Sided
DS Draft
Standard
DSA Dial
System Assistance
DSE Data
Structure Editor
DSEE Domain
Software Engineering Environment
DSM Distinguished
Service Medal
DSO Distinguished
Service Order
DSP Decessit
Sine Prole (died without issue)
DSP Digital
Signal Processing
DSRI Digital
Standard Relational Interface
DSS Decision
Support System
DSS Direct
Station Selection [Telephony]
DST Daylight
Saving Time
DSTN Double
SuperTwisted Nematic
DSU Digital
Service Unit
DT Delirium
Tremens
DTE Data
Terminal Equipment
DTF Dial
Tone First payphone [Telephony]
DTMF Dial
Tone Multi Frequency [Telephony]
DTP DeskTop
Publishing
DTR Data
Terminal Ready (EIA RS-232-C)
DUI Driving
Under the Influence
DUT Device
Under Test
DV Deo
Vo lente (God willing)
DVM Digital
Volt Meter
DVM Doctor
of Veterinary Medicine
DWAPS Defense
Warehousing Automated Processing System
DWI Died
Without Issue [Genealogy]
DWI Driving
While Intoxicated
DWIM Do
What I Mean
DX Distance
(as in long distance radio communication)
DXT Data
eXtractT facility
d.y. died
young [Genealogy]
E East
E Espionage
EADASS Engineering
and Administrative Data AcquiSition System
EAFB Edwards
Air Force Base [Space]
EAN Certainly
part of an X.400 Address in Europe
EARN European
Academic Research Network
EAS Extended
Area Service (or Engineering Admin. System)
EASI European
Academic Supercomputer Initiative (of IBM)
EBCDIC Extended
Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code
EC Exchange
Carrier [Telephony]
ECAFE Economic
Commission for Africa and the Far East
ECASS Electronically
Controlled Automatic Switching System
ECASS Export
Control Automated Support System
ECC Error
Correction Code
ECC Error
Correction Code (corrects error in memory or transmission)
ECCM Electronic
Counter-CounterMeasures
ECDO Electronic
Community Dial Office
ECG ElectroCardioGram
ECL Emitter
Coupled Logic (see also TTL)
ECLSS Environmental
Control and Life Support System [Space]
ECM Electronic
Counter Measure
ECM European
Common Market
ECMA European
Computer Manufacturers Association
ECO Ecological
ECO Electronic
Central Office
ECO Engineering
Change Order
ECPA Electronic
Communications Privacy Act [US law]
ECS Environmental
Control System [Space]
ECT ElectroConvulsive
Therapy
ECV Electric
Cargo Vehicle [NASA OEXP]
ED&D Expert
Dungeons & Dragons
EDGAR Electronic
Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval
EDI Electronic
Data Interchange
EDIF Electronic
Design Interchange Format
EDO Extended
Duration Orbiter [Space]
EDP Electronic
Data Processing
EDS Electronic
Data Systems
EDT Eastern
Daylight Time
EDTA Ethylene
Diamine Tetraacetic Acid
EDTCC Electronic
Data Transmission Communications Central
EE Electrical
Engineer
EE Electrical
or Electronics Engineer
EEC European
Economic Community
EEC European
Economic Comunity
EEG ElectroEncephaloGram
EEL Epsilon
Extension Language
E&EO Errors
and Omissions Excepted
EEPROM Electrically
Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory
EFF Electronic
Frontier Foundation
e.g. ???
(Latin(?): for example)
EGA Enhanced
Graphics Adapter
EGP Exterior
Gateway Protocol [Internet]
EGRET Energetic
Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (on GRO) [Space]
EHF Extremely
High Frequency (30-300GHz)
EIA Electronic
Industries Association
EINE EINE
Is Not Emacs
EISA Extended
Industry-Standard Architecture
EISS European
Intelligence Support System
EKG ElectroKardioGramm
(see ECG)
EL ElectroLuminescent
(as in display)
ELF Extremely
Low Frequency
ELO Electric
Light Orchestra
ELP Emerson,
Lake and Palmer (or Powell)
ELV Expendable
Launch Vehicle [Space]
E&M ``Ear
and Mouth''; receive and transmit leads of a signalling system
EM Enlisted
Man (see EW)
EMA Electronic
Mail Association
EMACS Editor
MACroS
EMACS Eight
Megabytes And Constantly Swapping
E-MAIL Electronic
MAIL
EMF ElectroMotive
Force
EMF ElectroMotive
Force (voltage)
EMI ElectroMagnetic
Interference
EMP Electromagnetic
Pulse
EMPRESS EnvironMental Pulse Radiation
Environment Simulator for Ships
EMR ElectroMagetic
Response
EMR ElectroMagnetic
Response
EMS Electronic
Message System
EMS Extended
Memory Specification
EMT Emergency
Medical Technician
EMU ElectroMagnetic
Unit
EMU Extravehicular
Mobility Unit [Space]
ENIAC Electronic
Numerical Integrator and Calculator
ENS ENSign
EO End
Office [Telephony]
EO Erasable
Optical
EOF End
Of File
EOM End
Of Month
EOS Earth
Observing System [Space]
EOWG Engineering
and Operations Working Group (under FNC)
EP Experience
Points
EP Extended
Play
EPA Environmental
Protection Agency
EPOS Engineering
and Project-management Oriented Support system
EPRI Electric
Power Research Institute
EPROM Erasable
Programmable Read Only Memory
EPS Encapsulated
PostScript
EPT Empire
of the Petal Throne
EQ Educational
Quotient (see IQ)
ER Emergency
Room
ERA Earned
Run Average
ERA Entity-Relationship-Attribute
ERA Equal
Rights Amendment
ERD Entity-Relation
Diagram
ERE Entity
Relationship Editor
ERT Earth
Resources Technology [Space]
ES Expert
System
ESA European
Space Agency
ESA European
Space Agency [Space]
ESAC Electronic
Systems Assistance Center
ESDI Enhanced
Standard Device Interface
ESE East
South East
ESF Extended
Superframe Format [Telephony]
ESM Electronic
Support Measures
ESnet Energy
Sciences network (DoE) [Networking]
ESO European
Southern Observatory
ESO European
Southern Observatory [Space]
ESP Extra
Sensory Perception
ESPS Entropic
Signal Processing System
ESS Electronic
Switching System [Telephony]
ESSEX Experimental
Solid State EXchange
EST Eastern
Standard Time
ET Eastern
Time
ET Extra
Terrestrial [Space]
ET (Shuttle)
External Tank [Space]
ETA Estimated
Time of Arrival
ET/ACC External
Tank/Aft Cargo Carrier (see also ET) [Space]
ETC Et
cetera, and so on...
ETD Estimated
Time of Departure
ETFD Electronic
Toll Fraud Device [Telephony]
ETH Eidgn\:oessiche
Technische Hochschule (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)
ETLA Extended
Three Letter Acronym [Space]
ETO Earth-to-Orbit
[Space]
ETR Eastern
Test Range [Space]
ETS Electronic
Translator System
ETV Education
TeleVision
EUUG European
Unix User Group
EUV Extreme
UltraViolet
EUV Extreme
UltraViolet [Space]
EUVE Extreme
UltraViolet Explorer [Space]
EVA ExtraVehicular
Activity
EVA ExtraVehicular
Activity [Space]
EVX Electronic
Voice eXchange
EW Electronic
Warfare
EW Enlisted
Woman (see EM)
EWOS European
Workshop for Open Systems
FA Football
Association (British soccer--a word derived from Association)
FAA Federal
Aviation Agency [US Government]
FACD Foreign
Area Customer Dialing
FAO Food
and Agriculture Organization [US Government]
FAQ Frequently
Asked Questions [Space]
FAR Federal
Acquisition Regulations
FAS Foreign
Agricultural Service
FAS Free
Alongside Ship
FASST Flexible
Architecture Standard System Technology
FAST Fast
Auroral SnapshoT explorer [Space]
FAT Foreign
Area Translation
FAX FAcsimile
FB Freight
Bill
FBI Federal
Bureau of Investigation [US Government]
FCC Federal
Communications Commission [US Government]
FCC Federal
Computer Conference
FCCSET Federal
Coordinating Committee for Science, Education and Technology (under OSTP)
{Maybe Eng. for Edu.??}
FCO Field
Change Order
FCO Frequency
Controlled Oscillator
FCS Frame
Check Sequence
FDA Food
and Drug Administration [US Government]
FDDI Fiber
Digital Data Interface
FDDI Fiber
Distributed Data Interface
FDHD Floppy
Drive High Density
FDIC Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation
FDIC Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation [US Government]
FDM Frequency
Division Multiplexing
FDR Franklin
Delano Roosevelt [US President]
FE Field
Engineer (see also CE, SE)
FEA Finite
Element Analysis
FEDSIM FEDeral
Systems Integration and Management center
FEMA Federal
Emergency Management Agency
FEMF Foreign
EMF (q.v.) (a.k.a. Cross Battery) [Telephony]
FEPC Fair
Employment Practices Commission
FEPG Federal
Engineering Planning Group (of FNC under EOWG, originally of FRICC)
FERS Federal
Employees Retirement System
FET Federal
Excise Tax
FET Field
Effect Transistor
FFA Future
Farmers of America
FFT Fast
Fourier Transform
FFT Fast
Fourier Transform [Space]
FG-A Feature
Group A [Telephony] (Line Side termination for LD carriers)
FG-B Feature
Group B [Telephony] (Trunk Side termination for LD carriers (aka ENFIA B), 950
service)
FG-D Feature
Group D [Telephony] (Trunk Side termination for LD carriers, 1+ service)
FGS Fine
Guidance Sensors (on HST) [Space]
FHA Federal
Home Administration
FHA Future
Homemakers of America
FIB Focused
Ion Beam
FICA Federal
Insurance Contributions Act
FIDO Fog
Investigation Dispersal Operation
FIFO First
In First Out (as in registers and buffers)
FILO First
In Last Out (see also FIFO)
FIMS Forms
Interface Management System
FINE FINE
Is Not Emacs
FIO Frequency
In and Out
FIPS Federal
Information Processing Standard
FIR Far
InfraRed [Space]
FIR Finite
Impulse Response
FIRMR Federal
Information Resource Management Regulation
FIT Federal
Information Technologies, inc.
FITS Flexible
Image Transport System [Space]
FIX Federal
Inter-agency eXchange [Networking]
FL Florida
FLACC Full
Level Algol Checkout Compiler
FLEA Four
Letter Extended Acronym
FLL Fixed
Loss Loop [Telephony]
FLOP FLoating
point OPeration
FLOPS FLoating-point
OPerations per Second
FLRA Federal
Labor Relations Authority
FM Frequency
Modulation
FMB Federal
Maritime Board
FMCS Federal
Mediation and Conciliation Service
FMR Follow
Me Roaming [Telephony]
FMS Financial
Management Service (Treasury Dept) [US Government]
FMS Forms
Management System
FNC Federal
Networking Council (formerly FRICC) [US Government] (under OSTP)
FO Foreign
Office
FO Forward
Observer
FOAC Federal
Office Automation Center
FOB Free
On Board
FOB Full
Of Bull (aperiodical of) [TMRC]
FOC Faint
Object Camera (on HST) [Space]
FOC Free
Of Charge
FOIA Freedom
Of Information Act
FOIMS Field
Office Information Management System
FOIRL Fiber
Optic Inter(?) Repeater(?) Link(?) [Ethernet]
FOOBAR See
FUBAR [Net jargon]
FOR Free
On Rail
FORCS Faa's
Operational Reporting Communication System
FORD Fix
Or Repair Daily [Humor]
FORD Found
On Road Dead [Humor]
FORTRAN FORmula TRANslator
FOS Faint
Object Spectrograph (on HST) [Space]
FOSE Federal
Office Systems Exposition
FOT Fiber
Optic Transceiver [Ethernet]
FOT Free
On Truck
FOV Field
Of View
FPA Floating
Point Accelerator
FPC Fish
Protein Concentrate
FPE Floating
Point Engine
FPHA Federal
Public Housing Authority
FPLA Field
Programmable Logic Array (see PLA)
FPM Feet
Per Minute
FPO Field
Post Office
FPO Fleet
Post Office
fps Feet
Per Second
FPU Floating
Point Unit
FQDN Fully
Qualified Domain Name [TCP/IP] (DNS)
FR Frame
Relay [Telephony, Networking]
FRACTAL FRACTional dimensionAL
FRED Fred
Resembles Emacs Deliberately
FRG Federal
Republic of Germany (West Germany)
FRICC Federal
Research Internet Coordinating Committee (now FNC, q.v.) [Networking, US
Government]
FROG Free
Rocket Over Ground
FRPG Fantasy
Role Playing Game
FRS Federal
Reserve System
FS Field
Service
FS File
System
FS Full
Standard
FSF Free
Software Foundation
FSK Frequency
Shift Keying
FSLIC Federal
Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation
FSS Federal
Supply Service
FSW Forward
Swept Wings
Ft Foot
FTAM File
Transfer And Management (ISO upscale FTP)
FTC Federal
Trade Commission
FTL Faster
Than Light
FTP File
Transfer Protocol (esp. of the TCP/IP suite)
FTS Federal
Telecommunications System [Telephony, US Government]
FTS Flight
Telerobotic Servicer [Space]
FUBAR F***ed
Up Beyond All Recognition/Repair
FUBAR Fouled
Up Beyond All Recognition/Repair
FUSE Far
Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer [Space]
FW Fringeworthy
FWD Front
Wheel Drive
FWHM Full
Width at Half Maximum [Space]
FX Foriegn
eXchange [Telephony]
FY Fiscal
Year
FYI For
Your Information
G General
audiences [Movie rating]
G Gravity
GA Gamblers
Anonymous
GA General
Assembly
GA General
Average
GA General
of the Army
GA Georgia
GAAP Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles
GAB Group
Audio Bridging [Telephony]
Gaia Earth's
self-sustaining Biosphere (Not an acronym, from some ancient language, I think)
GAN Global
Area Network
GAO General
Accounting Office [US Government]
GAR Grand
Army of the Republic
GARR Gruppo
Arminizzazione Rete por la Ricerca (Italian Research Network Harmonization
Group)
GAS Get-Away
Special [Space]
GATT General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GAW Guaranteed
Annual Wage
GAW Guarenteed
Annual Wage
GB Gangbusters
GB GigaByte
GB Great
Britain
GBIP General
Purpose Interface Bus
GBT Green
Bank Telescope [Space]
GC Garbage
Collection (LISP)
GC Gas
Chromatograph (or Chromatography)
GCA Ground
Controlled Approach
GCC Gnu
C Compiler
GCD Ground
Controlled Descent
GCL Graphics
Command Language
GCM General
Court Martial
GCR Group-Coded
Recording (magnetic tape, 6250 bpi)
GCT Greenwich
Civil Time
GCVS General
Catalog of Variable Stars [Space]
GDB Gnu
DeBugger
GDP Gross
Domestic Product
GDS Great
Dark Spot [Space]
GE General
Electric
GEM Giotto
Extended Mission [Space]
GEM Graphics
Environment Manager
GEO Geosynchronous
Earth Orbit [Space]
GHQ General
HeadQuarters
GHRS Goddard
High Resolution Spectrograph (on HST) [Space]
GHz Giga
HertZ (unit of frequency, 1,000,000,000 cycles per second)
GI Galvanized
Iron
GI Gastro
Intestinal (as in upper GI)
GI General
Issue
GI Government
Issue
GID Group
ID [UNIX]
GIF Graphics
Interchange Format
GIGO Garbage
In Garbage Out
GIN Graphics
INput
GISS Goddard
Institute for Space Studies
GKS Graphical
Kernel Standard
GKS Graphics
Kernel System
GM Game
Master
GM General
Manager
GM General
Motors [Corporate name, Automobile]
GM Guided
Missile
GMBH Gesellschaft
Mit Beschraenkter Haftung
GMC Giant
Molecular Cloud [Space]
GMD Gesellschaft
f\:ur Mathematik und Datenverarbeitung (German Institute for Mathematics and
Data Processing)
GMRT Giant
Meter-wave Radio Telescope [Space]
GMT Greenwich
Mean Time (also called UT)
GNP Gross
National Product
GNU GNU's
Not Unix
GOES Geostationary
Orbiting Environmental Satellite [Space]
GOES Geostationary
Orbiting Environmental Satellites [Space]
GOSIP Government
Open Systems Interconnection Profile (calls for government procurement of
ISO/CCITT products)
GOSIP Government
OSI Profile
GP General
Practitioner
GP General
Purpose (RR engines and origin of Jeep) [Railroading, Automobile]
GPC General
Purpose Computer [Space]
GPI Graphics
Programming Interface
GPIB General
Purpose Interface Bus
GPIB General-Purpose
Interface Bus
GPL GNU
General Public Licence
GPO General
Post Office
GPO Government
Printing Office
GPS Global
Positioning System
GPS Global
Positioning System [Space]
GQ General
Quarters
GRB Gamma
Ray Burst(er)
GREP Global
Regular Expression Print, g/re/p, (UNIX command)
GREP Global
Regular Expression Print [UNIX]
GRO Gamma
Ray Observatory [Space]
GRS Gamma
Ray Spectrometer (on Mars Observer) [Space]
GRS Great
Red Spot [Space]
GS General
Schedule
GS Glide
Slope
GSA General
Services Administration
GSA General
Services Adminstration [US Government]
GSA Girl
Scouts of America
GSBCA General
Services administration Board of Contract Appeals
GSC Guide
Star Catalog (for HST) [Space]
GSFC Goddard
Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, MD) [NASA, Space]
GSI Gesellschaft
f\:ur Schwerionenforschung (German Federal Research Institute for Heavy Ion
Research)
GSM Global
System Mobile
GSM Groupe
Speciale Mobile (Committee Designing preceding)
GSTS Ground-based
Surveillance and Tracking System
GT Gross
Ton
GTE General
Telephone and Electric [Corporate name]
GTO Geostationary
Transfer Orbit [Space]
GTSI Government
Technology Services, inc.
GUI Graphical
User Interface
GW Gamma
World
GWEN Ground
Wave Emergency Network
GWM Generic
Window Manager [X]
H Harn
H Height
HACD Home
Area Customer Dialing
HAL Heuristically
programmed ALgorithmic computer (movie 2001)
HAM Hold
And Modify
HAO High
Altitude Observatory [Space]
Hb HemogloBin
HBM Her
British Majesty; His British Majesty
HBO Home
Box Office
HC Holy
Communion
HC House
of Commons
HCFA Health
Care Financing Administration
HCFC hydrochlorofluorocarbon
[Chemical]
HCL High
Cost of Living
HD Hard
Disk
HD Heavy
Duty
HD Henry
Draper catalog entry [Space]
HDA Head
Disk Assembly (in winchester disk drives)
HDBV Host
Data Base View
HDL High
Density Lipoprotein
HDLC High-level
Data Link Control [Networking]
HDTV High
Definition Television
HE His
Eminence
HE His
Excellency
HEAO High
Energy Astronomical Observatory [Space]
HEDM High
Energy-Density Matter [Space]
HEMP Help
End Marijuana Prohibition
HEO High
Earth Orbit [Space]
HEPnet High
Energy Physics network [Networking]
HERO Hazards
of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance
HF High
Fantasy
HF High
Frequency (3-30MHz)
HFE Human
Factors Engineering
HFS Hierarchical
File System
HGA High
Gain Antenna [Space]
HHS (US
Department of) Health and Human Services
HI Hawaii
HIIPS Hud
Integrated Information Processing Services
HLC Heavy
Lift Capability [Space]
HLL High-Level
Language
HLV Heavy
Lift Vehicle [Space]
HMC Halley
Multicolor Camera (on Giotto) [Space]
HMOS High
performance Metal Oxide Semiconductor (see MOS)
HMS His/Her
Majesty's Ship
HMT His/Her
Majesty's Transport
HNPA Home
Numbering Plan Area [Telephony]
HOBIS HOtel
Billing Information System
HOL High-Order
System
HOTOL HOrizontal
Take-Off and Landing
HP Hewlett
Packard, Inc. [Corporate name]
HP High
Pressure
HP Higher
Power (sort of an AA "in" term, usually God)
HP Hit
Points
HP HorsePower
HPGe High
Purity Germanium
HPL/T High-Productivity
Languages/Tools
HQ HeadQuarters
HR Hertzsprung-Russell
(diagram) [Space]
HR House
of Representatives
HRH Her
Royal Highness
HRH His
Royal Highness
HRI High
Resolution Imager (on ROSAT) [Space]
HS High
School
HSB Hue,
Saturation, Brightness
HSP High
Speed Photometer (on HST) [Space]
HST Hawaiian
Standard Time
HST Hubble
Space Telescope [Space]
HT High
Tension (as in electric power transmission)
HTK Hits
To Kill
HUAC House
Unamerican Activities Committee
HUD Heads
Up Display
HUD Housing
and Urban Development [US Government]
HUPD Harvard
University Police Department
HUT Hopkins
Ultraviolet Telescope (ASTRO package) [Space]
HV High
Voltage
HVAC Heating,
Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
HW2000 Highway
2000
HWM High-Water
Mark
Hz HertZ
(unit of frequency, cycles per second)
IAB Internet
Activities Board [Networking]
IAEA International
Atomic Energy Agency
IANA Internet
Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA@ISI.EDU)
IATA International
Air Transport Association
IAU International
Astronomical Union [Space]
IAUC IAU
Circular [Space]
IBM Ingrained
Batch Mentality
IBM International
Business Machines, Inc. [Corporate name]
IBM Itty
Bitty Machines
IBT Illinois
Bell Telephone
IC Integrated
Circuit
IC Interexchange
Carrier [Telephony] (see also IEC, IXC)
ICB Interstate
Computer Bank
ICBM InterContinental
Ballistic Missile
ICE In-Circuit
Emulator
ICE International
Cometary Explorer [Space]
ICI Imperial
Chemical Industries
ICJ International
Court of Justice
ICL International
Computers Ltd.
ICMP Internet
Control Message Protocol
ICP Integrated
Channel Processor
ICP Inventory
Control Points
ICRC International
Cosmic Ray Conference
ID Idaho
ID IDentification
IDA Intercommunication
Data Areas
IDA International
Dark-sky Association [Space]
IDA International
Development Association
IDDD International
Direct Distance Dial [Telephony]
IDE Interactive
Development Environments, inc
IDF Intermediate
Distributing Frame [Telephony]
IDL Interactive
Data Language [Space]
IDV Interlibrational
Derived Vehicle [Space]
i.e. ????
(Latin(?): in other words (?))
IE Indo-European
IEC Inter-Exchange
Carrier [Telephony] (see also IC, IXC)
IEE Institute
of Electrical Engineers [UK]
IEEE Institute
of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
IETF Internet
Engineering Task Force
IF Intermediate
Frequency (as in IF stage)
IFB Invitation
For Bids
IFC International
Finance Corporation
IFC International
Freighting Corporation
IFF Identification
- Friend or Foe
IFF Interchange
File Format
IFLA International
Federation of Library Associations
IFR Instrument
Flight Rules [Aviation]
IGES Initial
Graphics Exchange Standard
IGM InterGalactic
Medium [Space]
IGY International
Geophysical Year
IGY International
Geophysical Year [Space]
IHP Indicated
HorsePower
IHS Integrated
Hospital Support
IIA Information
Industry Association
IIE Institute
of Industrial Engineers
IIHF International
Ice Hockey Federation
IIL Integrated
Injection Logic
ILO International
Labor Organization
ILS Instrument
Landing System
ILV Industrial
Launch Vehicle [Space]
IMF International
Monetary Fund
IMHO In
My Humble Opinion [Net jargon]
IMO In
My Opinion [Net jargon]
IMP Interface
Message Processor [ARPANET/MILNET] (replaced by PSN)
IMSL International
Mathematical Subroutine Library
IN Indiana
INADS INitialization
and ADministration System [Telephony]
INRA Iesus
Nazerenus Rex Iudaeorum (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews)
INRIA Institut
National de Recherche en Informatique et Automatique
INS Immigration
and Naturalization Service
INTAP INteroperability
Technology Association for information Processing
INWATS INward
Wide Area Telephone Service [Telephony]
I/O Input/Output
IO Input/Output
(sometimes I/O)
IOC International
Operating Center [Telephony, US]
IOD Identified
Outward Dialing
IOOF International
Order of Odd Fellows
IOTA Infrared-Optical
Telescope Array [Space]
IOTA International
Occultation Timing Association [Space]
IOU I
Owe you(U)
IP Information
Provider [Telephony]
IP Innings
Pitched
IP Intermediate
Point
IP Internet
Protocol
IPC Inter-Process
Communication
IPE Integrated
Programming Environment
IPMS InterPersonal
Message Services
IPS Inertial
Pointing System [Space]
IPS Information
Processing Standards
IPSE Integrated
Project-Support Environment
IQ Intelligence
Quotient (see EQ)
IR Index
Register
IR Infra-Red
IRA Individual
Retirement Account
IRA Irish
Republican Army
IRAF Image
Reduction and Analysis Facility [Space]
IRAS InfraRed
Astronomical Satellite [Space]
IRBM Intermediate
Range Ballistic Missile
IRDS Information
Resource Dictionary Standard
IRDS InfraRed
Detection Set
IRE Institute
of Radio Engineers (old name for the now IEEE, which see)
IRM Information
Resources Management
IRMS Information
Resources Management Service
IRS Internal
Revenue Service
IRTF Internet
Research Task Force
IS Information
Systems
IS International
Standard [ISO] (Beyond the DIS Stage)
ISA Industry-Standard
Architecture
ISAM Indexed
Sequential Access Method
ISAS Institute
of Space and Astronautical Science (Japan) [Space]
ISBD International
Bibliographic Description
ISC Information
Services Center
ISC International
Switching Center
ISCH Interstitial-Cell-Stimulating
Hormone (same as LH)
ISDN Integrated
Services Digital Network [Telephony]
ISDT Integrated
Systems Development Tool
ISEE International
Sun Earth Explorer (usually ISEE-3)
ISF Information
Systems Factory
ISFUG Integrated
Software Federal User Group
ISI Information
Sciences Institute
ISM InterStellar
Medium [Space]
ISO Infrared
Space Observatory [Space]
ISO International
Organization for Standardization
ISO International
Standards Organization [Space]
ISODE ISO
Development Environment
ISOO Information
Security Oversight Office
ISPM International
Solar Polar Mission
ISPM International
Solar Polar Mission (now Ulysses) [Space]
ISR Institute
of Snow Research
ISRG Independent
Space Research Group
ISV Independent
Software Vendor
ISY International
Space Year [Space]
IT Industrial
Technology
IT Information
Technology
ITC Inter-Task
Communication
ITS Incompatible
Timesharing System
ITT International
Telephone and Telegraph
ITU International
Telecommunications Union
ITUSA IT
Users Standards Association
IUE International
Ultraviolet Explorer [Space]
IUS Inertial
Upper Stage
IUS Inertial
Upper Stage [Space]
IUV Interlibrational
Utility Vehicle [Space]
IXC Inter-eXchange
Carrier [Telephony] (see also IC, IEC)
IXI International
(pan-European) X.25 Infrastructure
JACM Journal
of the Association for Computing Machinery
JANET Joint
Academic Network (UK)
JBS John
Birch Society
JC Jesus
Christ
JC Joint
Compound (plumbing)
JC Julius
Caesar
JC Junior
College
JCA Jewelry
Crafts Association
JCAC Joint
Civil Affairs Committee
JCAE Joint
Committee on Atomic Energy
JCEE Joint
Council on Economic Education
JCET Joint
Council on Educational Television
JCS Joint
Chiefs of Staff
JD Justice
Department
JDS John
Dewey Society
JEM Japanese
Experiment Module (for SSF) [Space]
JES John
Ericsson Society
JET Joint
European Torus (fusion research)
JFK John
F. Kennedy
JFK John
F. Kennedy (international airport)
JFMIP Joint
Financial Management Improvement Program
JGR Journal
of Geophysical Research
JGR Journal
of Geophysical Research [Space]
JI Justice,
Inc.
JIC Joint
Intelligence Center
JIC Just
in Case
JILA Joint
Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics [Space]
JIM Job
Information Memorandum
JINTACCS Joint
INteroperability of TActical Command and Control Systems
JIS Japan
Industrial Standards
JISC Japanese
Industrial Standards Committee
JIT Just
In Time
JMS John
Milton Society
JNT Joint
Network Team (UK)
JO Job
Order
JO Junior
Officer
JOVE Jonathan's
Own Version of Emacs
JOVIAL Jules
Own Version of the International Algorithmic Language
JPL Jet
Propulsion Laboratory
JPL Jet
Propulsion Laboratory [Space]
JRC Junior
Red Cross
JSC Johnson
Space Center
JSC Johnson
Space Center (NASA) [Space]
JSD Jackson
System Development
JSRC Joint
Services Review Committee
JTIDS Joint
Tactical Information Distribution Systems
JV Junior
Varsity
JvNC John
von Neumann (Super Computer) Center
JvNCnet John von Neumann (Super Computer)
Center network
K Kilo-
(metric 1000)
K9 canine
(K9 corps - army dogs)
KAIST Korean
Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
KAO Kuiper
Airborne Observatory [Space]
KB KiloByte
KC King's
Counsel (QC when queen reigning)
KC Knights
of Columbus
KD Kiln
Dried
KD Knocked
Down
KDCI Key
Display Call Indicator
KERMIT Kl-10
Error-free Reciprocal Micro Interconnect over Tty lines
KET Kentucky
Educational Television
KHz Kilo
HertZ (unit of frequency, 1000 cycles per second)
KI Kiwanis
International
KIA Killed
In Action
KIAS Knot
Indicated Air Speed
Km Kilometers
KO Knock
Out [Boxing, Electric]
KP Key
Pulse [Telephony]
KP Kitchen
Police
KPNO Kitt
Peak National Observatory
KPO KeyPunch
Operator
KQC King's
College London
K&R Kernighan
and Ritchie, the c programming language
KS King's
Scholar
KSC Kennedy
Space Center (NASA) [Space]
KSU Key
System Unit [Telephony]
KTB Cretaceous-Tertiary
Boundary (from German) [Space]
KTS Key
Telephone System [Telephony]
KTU Key
Telephone Unit [Telephony]
KWIC Key
Word In Context
KY Kentucky
L1 Lagrange
Point #1 35,000 Miles above moon [Space]
L2 Lagrange
Point #2 40,000 Miles behind moon [Space]
L3 Lagrange
Point #3 (?? 35,000 Miles below moon) [Space]
L4 Lagrange
Point #4 240,000 mile Earth orbit [Space]
L5 Lagrange
Point #5 240,000 mile Earth orbit [Space]
LA Los
Angeles
LA Louisiana
LA Low
Altitude
LADAR LAser
Detection And Ranging
LAM Master
of Liberal Arts
LAMA Local
Automatic Message Accounting [Telephony]
LAN Local
Apparent Noon
LAN Local
Area Network
LANL Los
Alamos National Laboratory [Space]
LANL Los
Alamos (NM) National Laboratory
LAPB Link
Access Procedure (Balanced)
LAPD Link
Access Procedure (??)
LAPD Los
Angeles (CA, US) Police Department
LAR Local
Acquisition Radar
LaRC Langley
Research Center (NASA) [Space]
LASER Light
Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
LAT Local
Apparent Time
LATA Local
Access and Transport Area [Telephony]
LAX Los
Angeles International Airport
LB Light
Bomber
LB pound
(LiBra)
LBHS Long
Beach High School
LBL Lawrence
Berkeley (Calif.) Labs
LBS Pounds
LC inductor-Capacitor
circuit (as in filters, L is symbol inductance)
LCD Liquid
Crystal Display
LCD Lowest
Common Denominator
LCDR Lieutenant
Commander
LCL Less
than Carload Lot [Railroading]
LCL Lunar
Cargo Lander [NASA OEXP]
LCM Least
Common Multiple
LCM Life
Cycle Management
LCS Laboratory
for Computer Science (of MIT)
LCT Landing
Craft Tanks
LD Long
Distance [Telephony]
LDC Long
Distance Carrier [Telephony]
LDEF Long
Duration Exposure Facility [Space, NASA]
LDF Large
Deployable Reflector [Space]
LDL Low
Density Lipoprotein
LDX Long
Distance eXtender [Telephony]
LEAP Low-power
Enhanced At Portable
LEC Local
Exchange Carrier [Telephony]
LED Light
Emitting Diode
LEM Lunar
Excursion Module (a.k.a. LM) (Apollo spacecraft) [Space]
LEO Low
Earth Orbit [Space]
LEP Large
Electron-Positron collider [CERN]
LeRC Lewis
Research Center (NASA) [Space]
LEST Large
Earth-based Solar Telescope [Space]
LF Low
Frequency (30-300KHz)
LFSA List
of Frequently Seen Acronyms (!) [Space]
LGA Low
Gain Antenna [Space]
LGM Little
Green Men [Space]
LH Left
Hand
LH Liquid
Hydrogen (also LH2 or LHX) [Space]
LH Lower
Half
LH Luteinizing
Hormone (same as ISCH)
LHC Large
Hadron Collider [CERN]
LHD Litterarum
Humaniorum Doctor (doctor of human letters)
LHS Left
Hand Side
LI Long
Island
LIFIA Laboratoire
d'Informatique Fondamentale et d'Intelligence Artificielle
LIFO Last
In First Out (see FIFO)
LINC Laboratory
INstrument Computer
LISA Large
Installation Systems Administration (USENIX specific?)
LISP LISt
Processing Language
LIU Line
Interface Unit
LL Late
Latin
LL Long
Lines [Telephony]
LLB Legum
Baccalaureus (bachelor of laws)
LLD Legum
doctor (doctor of laws)
LLN Line
Link Network [Telephony]
LLNL Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratories
LLO Low
Lunar Orbit [Space]
LLOX Lunar
Liquid Oxygen [Space]
LLP Line
Link Pulsing [Telephony]
LM Life
Master (Contract Bridge ranking)
LM Lunar
Module (a.k.a. LEM) (Apollo spacecraft) [Space]
LMC Large
Magellanic Cloud (see SMC)
LMC Large
Magellanic Cloud [Space]
LMOS Line
Maintenance Operations System [Telephony, AT&T]
LN2 Liquid
N2 (Nitrogen) [Space]
LNG Liquified
Natural Gas
LOA Lands
of Adventure
LOFT Launch
Operations Flight Test [Space]
LOOPS Lisp
Object Oriented Programming System
LOP Lines
Of Position
LOSF Lunar
Orbit Staging Facility [Space]
LOTS Low
Overhead Timesharing System
LOX Liquid
Oxygen
LOX Liquid
OXygen [Space]
LP Long
Play(ing) (record)
LP Low
Pressure
LPC Linear
Predictive Coding (speech processing)
LPDA Link
Problem Determination Aid
LPF League
for Programming Freedom
LPG Liquefied
Petroleum Gas
LPG Low
Pressure Gas
LPL Lunar
Personnel Lander [NASA OEXP]
LPN Licensed
Practical Nurse
LPP Licensed
Program Products
LPR Line
PrinteR
LPT Lunar
Propellant Tanker [NASA OEXP]
LPV Lunar
Piloted Vehicle [NASA OEXP]
LRB Liquid
Rocket Booster [Space]
LRBM Long
Range Ballistic Missile
LRC Longitudinal
Redundancy Character
LRU Least
Recently Used
LRU Line
Replaceable Unit
LRV Light
Rail Vehicle [Railroading]
LS Left
Side
LS Letter
Signed
LS Locus
Sigilli (place of seal)
LSAP Logical(?,
maybe Link) Service Access Point [OSI, Networking]
LSB Least
Significant Bit; Least Significant Byte
LSB Lower
Side Band
LSC Lecture
Series Committee (of MIT)
LSC LightSpeed
C
LSD Least
Significant Digit
LSD LySergic
acid Diethylamide
LSD pounds
(Libra), shillings (Sestertii), and (old) pence (Denarii)
LSI Large
Scale Integration
LSP LightSpeed
Pascal
LSR Local
Standard of Rest [Space]
LSS Life
Support System
LSS Loop
Switching System
LSSD Level-Sensitive
Scan Detection
LT Long
Ton
LT Low
Tension
LTC Lieutenant
Colonel
LTJG Lieutenant
Junior Grade
LTL Less
than Truckload Lot
LTP Lunar
Transient Phenomenon [Space]
LUG Local
Users Group
LUT Look-Up
Table
LWM Low-Water
Mark
LWT London
Weekend Television [Corporate name]
LZ Landing
Zone
M Mega-
(metric 10^6)
m meter(s)
m milli-
(metric 1/1000)
M Miniatures
MA Massachusetts
[US state postal designation]
MAAP Maintenance
And Administration Panel
MAC an
MIT interdepartmental lab (stands for many things) (renamed to LCS)
MAC Media
Access Control
MAC Medium
Access Control
MAC Military
Air Command
MACSYMA project MAC's SYmbolic
MAnipulation System
MAD Mutual
Assured Destruction
MADD Mothers
Against Drunk Driving
MAG Magazine
MAN Metropolitan
Area Network
MAP Manufacturing
Automation Protocol
MAP/TOP Manufacturing Automation
Protocol/Technical Office Protocol
MARBI MAchine
Readable form of Bibliographic Information
MARC MAchine
Readable card Catalog
MARS Multiuser
Archival and Retrieval System
MASC Multiple
Award Schedule Contract
MASER Microwave
Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
MASH Mobile
Army Surgical Hospital
MAST Multi-Application
SOnar Trainer
MAT-CALS Marine
Air Traffic-Control And Landing System
MAU Math
Acceleration Unit
MAU Media
Access Unit
MAU Medium
Access Unit
MB Manned
Base [Space]
MB MegaByte
MBA Master
Business Administration
MBTA Massachusetts
Bay Transportation Authority
MC Master
of Ceremonies
MCA Micro
Channel Architecture
MCAE Mechanical
Computer Aided Engineering
MCC Master
Control Console
MCC Microelectronics
and Computer technology Corporation
MCC Mission
Control Center [Space]
MCP Master
Control Program
MCP/AS Master
Control Program/Advanced System
MCPO Master
Chief Petty Officer
MCSV Mars
Crew Sortie Vehicle [NASA OEXP]
MD Doctor
of Medicine
MD Maryland
MD Maryland
[US state postal designation]
MD Medical
Doctor
MD Months
after Date
MDAS Magnetic
Drum Auxiliary Sender
MDC Metropolitan
District Commision (Mass State Agency)
MDE Modular
Design Environment
MDF Main
Distribution Frame [Telephony]
MDRE Mass
Driver Reaction Engine [Space]
MDT Mean
Down Time
ME Maine
ME Mechanical
Engineer
MECO Main
Engine CutOff [Space, Shuttle]
MEd Master
of EDucation
MERP Middle-Earth
Role Playing
MeV Million
Electron Volts
MF Medium
Frequency (300-3000KHz)
MF Middle
French
MF Multi-Frequency
[Telephony]
MFA Master
Fine Arts
MFA Museum
of Fine Arts [Boston]
MFJ Modified
Final Judgment [Telephony]
MFLOPS Million
FLoating-point OPerations per Second (see also FLOPS)
MFM Modified
Frequency Modulation
MFS Macintosh
File System
MG Machine
Gun
MG Major
General
MG Military
Government
MGH Massachusetts
General Hospital
MGM Metro-Goldwyn
Mayer [Corporate name]
MHD MagnetoHydroDynamics
MHS Mail
Handling System [ISO]
MHz Mega
HertZ (unit of frequency, 1,000,000 cycles per second)
MI Michigan
MI Military
Intelligence
MIA Missing
In Action
MIB Management
Information Base
MIDI Musical
Instrument Digital Interface
MIFASS Marine
Integrated Fire And Support System
MILNET MILitary
NETwork
MIM Morality
In Media
MIMD Multiple
Instruction, Multiple Data
MINCE MINCE
Is Not Complete Emacs
MINE MINE
Is Not Emacs (but it is mine)
MIPS Million
Instructions Per Second
Mir Peace
[Russian]
MIRV Multiple
Independently-Targetable Reentry Vehicle
MIS Management
Information System
MIT Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
ML Middle
Latin
mL milliliter(s)
MLA Member
of Legislative Assembly (see MPP)
MLD Minimum
Lethal Dose
MLL Mars
Logistics Lander [NASA OEXP]
MLS Microwave
Landing System
MLS Multi-Level
Security
MLV Medium
Lift Vehicle [NASA OEXP]
MM Maryknoll
Missioners
mm millimeters
MMES Martin
Marietta Energy Systems
MMFS Manufacturing
Message Format Standard
MMH MonoMethyl
Hydrazine [Space]
MMM see
3M
MMT Multiple
Mirror Telescope [Space]
MMU Manned
Maneuvering Unit [Space]
MMU Memory
Management Unit
MMW Multi-Mega
Watt [Space]
MN Minnesota
MNA Member
of National Assembly (Quebec)
MNP Microcom
Networking Protocol [Corporate name]
MNRAS Monthly
Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society [Space]
MO Mail
Order
MO Medical
Officer
MO Missouri
MO Modus
Operandi
MO Money
Order
MOC Mars
Observer Camera (on Mars Observer) [Space]
MOD Ministry
of Defence (UK) (sometimes written MoD)
MOL Manned
Orbiting Laboratory [Space]
MOLA Mars
Observer Laser Altimeter (on Mars Observer) [Space]
MOMA Museum
of Modern Art [New York]
MOMV Manned
Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle [Space]
MOR Middle-Of-the-Road
MOS Metal
Oxide Semiconductor
MOSFET Metal
Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor
MOTAS Member
Of The Appropriate Sex
MOTIS Member
Of The Inappropriate Sex
MOTIS Message-Oriented
Text Interchange System
MOTOS Member
of the Opposite Sex
MOTSS Member
of the Same Sex
MOTV Manned
Orbital Transfer Vehicle [Space]
MOU Memorandum
Of Understanding
MOUSE Minimum
Orbital Unmanned Satellite of Earth
MP Melting
Point
MP Member
of Parliament
MP Metropolitan
Police
MP Military
Police(man)
MPC Minor
Planets Circular [Space]
MPE Mission
to Planet Earth [Space]
MPG Miles
Per Gallon
MPH Miles
Per Hour
MPP Member
of Provincial Parliament (Canada; also MLA)
MPR Mars
Pressurized Rover [Space]
MPV Mars
Piloted Vehicle [NASA OEXP]
MPW Macintosh
Programmer's Workshop
MR Miniatures
Rules
MRI Magnetic
Resonance Imaging
MRP Manufacturing
Requirements Planning
MRSR Mars
Rover and Sample Return [Space]
MRSRM Mars
Rover and Sample Return Mission [Space]
MS ManuScript
MS Master
of Science
MS Military
Science
MS Motor
Ship
MS Multiple
Sclerosis
MSB Most
Significant Bit; Most Significant Byte
MSC MicroSoft
C
MSCP Mass
Storage Control Protocol
MSD Most
Significant Digit
MS-DOS MicroSoft
DOS
MSE Mobile
Subscriber Equipment
MSFC (George
C.) Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA) [Space]
MSFC Marshall
Space Flight Center
MSG MonoSodium
Glutamate
MSH Marvel
Super Heroes
MSL Mean
Sea Level
MSPCA Massachussetts
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
MSPE Mercenaries,
Spies & Private Eyes
MSRP Manufacturer's
Suggested Retail Price
MSS Management
Support System
MSS ManuScriptS
MSS Mass
Storage System
MSS Maximum
Segment Size [TCP/IP] (see also MTU)
MST Mountain
Standard Time
MT Metric
Ton
MT Mountain
Time
MTA Message
Transfer Agent
MTA Metropolitan
Transportation Authority
MTBF Mean
Time Between Failures
MTC Man
Tended Capability [Space]
MTR Magnetic
Tape Recording
MTSO Mobile
Telephone Switching Office [Telephony]
MTTF Mean
Time To Failure
MTTR Mean
Time To Recovery
MTTR Mean
Time To Repair
MTU Maximum
Transfer Unit [Networking] (see also MSS)
MTV Music
TeleVision
MUF Maximum
Usable Frequency (max freq during sunspot activity)
MULTICS MULTiplex Information Computer
Services
MUMPS Mgh
Utility MultiProgram System
MUNG Mung
Until No Good (see the hacker's dictionary)
MUX MUltipleXor
MVA MegaVolt
Ampere
MVS Multiple
Virtual Storage [IBM]
MX Missile
eXperimental
N North
N Notice
NA Narcotics
Anonymous
NA North
America
NA Not
Applicable
NAACP National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People
NAAS North
American Automated Systems co.
NAB National
Association of Broadcasters
NABISCO NAtional BIScuit COmpany
[Corporate name]
NACCIRN North American Coordinating
Committee for Intercontinental Research Networking (see also CCIRN)
NACS National
Advisory Committee on Semiconductors
NAD Network
Access Device
NADGE NATO
Air Defense Ground Environment
NAG Numerical
Algorithms Group
NAGE National
Association of Government Employees
NAK Negative
AcKnowledge
NAM Name
and Address Module [Telephony] (cellular phone changeable ROM)
NAM National
Account Manager [Telephony, AT&T]
NAM Number
Assignment Module [Telephony] (cellular phone changeable ROM)
NANP North
American Numbering Plan
NAPAP National
Acid Precipitation Assessment Program
NAR Nuclear
Acoustic Resonance
NARDAC NAvy
Regional Data Automation Center
NAS National
Academy of Sciences
NAS National
Advanced Systems
NASA National
(US) Aeronautics and Space Administration [Space]
NASDA NAtional
(Japan) Space Development Agency [Space]
NASM National
(US) Air and Space Museum [Space]
NASP National
(US) AeroSpace Plane [Space]
NATO North
Atlantic Treaty Organization
NAVDAC NAVal
Data Automation Command
NAVSWC NAVal
Surface Weapons Center
NB New
Brunswick
NB Nota
Bene
NBA National
(US) Basketball Association
NBC National
(US) Broadcasting Company [Corporate name]
NBFM NarrowBand
Frequency Modulation
NBO Network
Build Out
NBS National
Bureau of Standards (renamed NIST) [US Government]
NBVM Narrow
Band Voice Modulation
NC No
Charge
NC No
Connection
NC North
Carolina
NCA Network
Control Analysis
NCC National
(US) Computer Conference
NCC National
(US) Council of Churches
NCDC National
(US) Climatic Data Center
NCE New
Catholic Edition
NCGA National
(US) Computer Graphics Association
NCI National
(US) Cancer Institute [US Government]
NCIC National
(US) Cartographic Information Center
NCO Non-Commissioned
Officer
NCP Network
Control Program
NCR National
(US?) Cash Register [Corporate name]
NCS Network
Computing System
NCSA National
(US) Center for Supercomputing Applications
NCSC National
(US) Computer Security Center [NSA]
NCTL National
Computer and Telecommunications Laboratory
NCV No
Commercial Value
ND No
Date
ND North
Dakota
NDA Non-Disclosure
Agreement
NDDL Neutral
Data Definition Language
NDE News
Development Environment
NDEA National
(US) Defense Education Act
NDL Network
Database Language
NDP New
Democratic Party (Canada)
NDSL National
(US) Defense Student Loan
NDSL National
(US) Direct Student Loan
NDT Newfoundland
Daylight Time
NDV NASP
Derived Vehicle
NDV NASP
Derived Vehicle [Space]
NE New
England
NE North
East
NEAR National
Electronic Accounting and Reporting system
NEARnet New England Academic and Research
Network
NEB New
English Bible
NEC Nippon
Electric Company [Corporate name]
NEI Not
Elsewhere Included
NES National
Energy Strategy
NES Not
Elsewhere Specified
NESC National
Energy Software Center
NET National
(US) Educational Television
NET NETwork
NET New
England Telephone
NEWS Network
extensible Window System
NEXRAD NEXt
generation weather RADar
NF No
Funds
NFC National
(US) Football Conference
NFFE National
(US) Federation of Federal Employees
NFL National
(US) Football League
NFS Network
File System
NG National
Guard
NG No
Good
NGC New
General Catalog [Space]
NH New
Hampshire
NHI National
Health Insurance
NHL National
(Canada) Hockey League
NHLBI National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (Bethesda, MD)
NIC Network
Information Center ("The NIC" is NIC.DDN.MIL)
NICMOS Near
Infrared Camera / Multi Object Spectrometer (HST upgrade) [Space]
NIFTP (a
file transfer network in the UK)
NIH National
(US) Institutes of Health
NIH Not
Invented Here
NIM Nuclear
Instrumentation Module (an electronic instr. standard)
NIMH National
Institute of Mental Health (Rockville, MD)
NIMS Near-Infrared
Mapping Spectrometer (on Galileo) [Space]
NIR Near
InfraRed [Space]
NIS Network
Information System (formerly yp)
NISO National
Information Standards Organization
NIST National
Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly NBS) [US Government]
NJ New
Jersey
NJB New
Jersey Bell [Telephony]
NL National
League (baseball)
NLM National
Library of Medicine
NLP Natural
Language Processing
NLRB National
Labor Relations Board
NLS Network
License Server
NM Nautical
Mile
NM New
Mexico
NM Night
Message
NM No
Mark; Not Marked
NMOS N
channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor (N-MOS) (see MOS)
NMR Nuclear
Magnetic Resonance
NMS Network
Monitoring Station
NNE North
North East
NNTP Net
News Transfer Protocol
NNW North
North West
NNX NANP
syntax for a three-digit string, N:{2-9}, X:{0-9} [Telephony]
NOA NSWC
Office Automation
NOAA National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [Space, US Government]
NOAO National
(Tucson, AZ, US) Optical Astronomical Observatories [Space]
NOC Network
Operations Center
NORAD NORth
American Defense Command
NORM Naturally
Occuring Radioactive Material
NORML National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
NOS Not
Otherwise Specified
NOSC Naval
Ocean Systems Center
NOTIS Network
Operator Trouble Information System
NOW Negotiable
Order for Withdrawal [Banking] (Is this MA or NE specific?)
NOx Nitrogen
Oxides
NP No
Protest
NP Nondeterministic-Polynomial
NP Notary
Public
NP Noun
Phrase
NPA Numbering
Plan Area (area code) [Telephony]
NPC Non-Player
Character (see PC) [Role-playing]
NPL National
Physical Laboratory (UK)
NPL Non-Procedural
Language
NPN Negative-Positive-Negative
(transistor)
NPN NonProtein
Nitrogen
NPR National
Public Radio
NPR non-Processor
Request [PDP11, UNIBUS]
NQS Network
Queuing System
NRA National
Reconstruction Act (FDR era US)
NRA National
Rifle Association
NRAO National
Radio Astronomical Observatory [Space]
NRC National
Research Council
NRC Nuclear
Regulatory Commission
NRE Non-Recurring
Engineering (as in NRE costs)
NREN National
(US) Research and Education Network
NRL Naval
Research Labs
NRO National
Reconnaissance Office
NRO National
Reconnaissance Organization [Space]
NRZ Non-Return
to Zero
NRZI Non-Return
to Zero Inverted (magnetic tape, 800 bpi)
NS Neutron
Star [Space]
NS Not
Specified
NS Nova
Scotia
NS Nuclear
Ship
NSA National
Security Agency [US Government]
NSAP Network
Service Access Point [OSI, Networking]
NSC National
(US) Security Council [US Government]
NSE Network
Software Environment
NSF National
(US) Science Foundation [US Government]
NSS Nodal
Switching System [NSFnet]
NSSDC National
Space Science Data Center [Space]
NST Newfoundland
Standard Time
NSTS National
Space Transportation System [Space]
NSW New
South Wales (Australia)
NSWC Naval
Surface Warfare Center
NSWC Naval
Surface Weapons Center
NT New
Testament
NT Newfoundland
Time
NT Northern
Territory
NTEU National
Treasury Employees Union
NTIS National
Technical Information Service
NTN Neutralized
Twisted Nematic
NTP Network
Time Protocol [Internet]
NTP Normal
Temperature and Pressure (see STP)
NTSB National
Transportation Safety Board [US Government]
NTSC National
Television Standards Committee
NTSC Never
Twice Same Color
NTT New
Technology Telescope [Space]
NTT Nippon
Telephone & Telegraph
NU Name
Unknown
NURBS NonUniform
Rational B-Spline
NUSC Naval
Underwater Systems Center [US Government]
NV Nevada
NW North
West
NWNET NorthWestNet
NWS National
Weather Service
NWT North
West Territories (Australia)
NXX NANP
syntax for a three-digit string, N:{2-9}, X:{0-9} [Telephony]
NY New
York
NYC New
York City
NYNEX New
York and New England (Telephone)
NYPD New
York Police Department
NYSE New
York Stock Exchange
NYSERNet New
York State Educational and Research Network
NZ New
Zealand
NZUSUGI New Zealand Unix System User
Group, Inc.
OA Office
Automation
OA Overeaters
Anonymous
OAO Orbiting
Astronomical Observatory [Space]
OAS Organization
of American States
OATS Office
Automation Technology and Services
OBE Order
of the British Empire
OBS Omni
Bearing Selector
OC Order
of Canada
OCDM Office
of Civil Defense and Mobilization
OCI Out
of City Indicator
OCLC Online
Computer Library Center, Inc.
OCLC Online
Computer Library Center (Ohio College Library Catalog)
OCO Object
Code Only
OCR Optical
Character Recognition
OCS Officer
Candidate School
OCST Office
of Commercial Space Transportation [Space]
OD Doctor
of Optometry
OD Oculus
Dexter (right eye)
OD Officer
of the Day
OD OverDose
ODI Optical
Digital Image
ODISS Optical
Digital Image Storage System
ODT Octal
Debugging Technique
ODT Online
Debugging Technique
OE Old
English
OED Oxford
English Dictionary
OEM Original
Equipment Manufacturer
OEO Office
of Economic Opportunity
OES Order
of the Eastern Star
OEXP Office
of Exploration [NASA]
OF Old
French
OFM Order
of Friars Minor
OFS Order
of Free State
OG Original
Gum
OH Ohio
OIRA Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs
OIU Office
Interface Unit
OJT On
the Job Training
OLTP On-Line
Transaction Processing
OMB Office
of Management and Budget [US Government]
OMD Orchestral
Manouevers in the Dark
OMS Orbital
Maneuvering System [Space]
OMV Orbital
Maneuvering Vehicle [Space]
ON Old
Norse
ONC Open
Network Computing
ONI Office
of Naval Intelligence
ONI Operator
Number Identification [Telephony]
ONR Office
of Naval Research
OOP Object
Oriented Programming
OOPART Out
Of Place ARTifact
OOPS Object-Oriented
Programming System
OP Observation
Post
OP OFFICEPOWER
office automation system, trademark of CCI
OP Order
of Preachers
OP Out
of Print
OPEC Organization
of Petroleum Exporting Countries
OPF Orbiter
Processing Facility [Space]
OPM Office
of Personnel Management
OPUS Obvious
Password Utility System (Eugene Spafford <Spaf@Purdue.Edu>)
OR Operating
Room
OR Oregon
OR Owner's
Risk, Own Risk
ORFEUS Orbiting
and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer [Space]
ORNL Oak
Ridge National Laboratory
OROM Optical
Read Only Memory
OS Oculus
Sinister (left eye)
OS Operating
System
OS Ordinary
Seaman
OS Out
of Stock
OSB Order
of St. Benedict
OSC Orbital
Sciences Corporation [Space]
OSCAR Orbiting
Satelite Carry Amateur Radio (1st launched 12 Dec 1961)
OSCAR Orbiting
Satellite Carry Amateur Radio (1st launched 12 Dec 1961)
OSCAR Orbiting
Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio [Space]
OSCRL Operating
System Command Response Language
OSD Office
of the Secretary of Defense
OSDIT Office
of Software Development and Information Technology
OSF Open
Software Foundation
OSF Open
Systems Foundation
OSF Order
of St. Francis
OSHA Occupational
Safety and Health Administration [US Government]
OSI Office
of Scientific Integrity [NIH]
OSI Open
Systems Interconnection (per ISO; 7 layer model)
OSI/RM Open
Systems Interconnection/Reference Model
OSME Open
Systems Message Exchange
OSP Optical
Storage Processor
OSPFIGP Open Shortest-Path First Internal
Gateway Protocol [Internet]
OSS Office
of Strategic Services (later CIA)
OSS Office
Support System
OSS Operation
Support System [Telephony, AT&T]
OSSA Office
of Space Science and Applications [Space]
OSSE Oriented
Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (on GRO) [Space]
OSTP Office
of Science and Technology Policy
OSTP (White
House) Office of Science and Technology Policy [US Government]
OT Old
Testament
OT OverTime
OTA Office
of Technical Assistance
OTA Office
of Technology Assessment
OTA Optical
Telescope Assembly (on HST) [Space]
OTB Off-Track
Betting
OTC Over
The Counter (stocks)
OTF Open
Token Foundation
OTH-B Over
The Horizon - Backscatter (as in radar)
OT&LF Open
Taxi & Limousine Foundation
OTR On
The Rag
OTS Officers'
Training School
OTV Orbital
Transfer Vehicle [Space]
OUTWATS OUTward Wide Area Telephone
Service [Telephony]
OV Orbital
Vehicle [Space]
OV Orbiter
Vehicle [Space]
PA Pennsylvania
PA Per
Annum
PA Play
Aid
PA Power
of Attorney
PA Press
Agent
PA Private
Account
PA Public
Address
PA Purchasing
Agent
PABX Private
Automatic Branch eXchange [Telephony]
PACCOM Pacific
Computer Communications network consortium [Networking]
PACX Private
Automatic Computer eXchange
PAD Packet
Assembler-Disassembler [Networking]
PAH Polycyclic
Aromatic Hydrocarbon
PAL Phase
Alternation Line-rate
PAL Programmable
Array Logic
PAM Payload
Assist Module [Space]
PAM Pulse
Amplification Modulation
PARC Palo
Alto Research Center, xerox
PASS Personal
Access Satellite System [NASA]
PATROL Program
for Administrative Traffic Reports On Line
PBM Play
By Mail game
PBS Public
Broadcasting System
PBX Private
Branch eXchange [Telephony]
PC Peace
Corps
PC PerCent;
PerCentage
PC Personal
Computer (IBM wants you to believe a specific kind)
PC Player
Character (see NPC) [Role-playing]
PC Post
Card
PC Post
Cibum (after meals)
PC Privileged
Character
PC Privy
Council
PC Program
Counter
PC Progressive
Conservative party [Canada]
PC Providence
College
PC/AT Personal
Computer/Advanced Technology
PCB PolyChlorinated
Biphenyl
PCB Printed
Circuit Board
PC-DOS Personal
Computer DOS
PCI Panel
Call Indicator
PCIE President's
Council on Integrity and Efficiency
PCL Printer
Command Language
PCM Plug-Compatible
Mainframe
PCM Pulse
Code Modulation
PCPC Personal
Computers Peripheral Corporation
PCS Permanent
Change of Station
PCTE Portable
Common Tools Environment
PCTS Posix
Conformance Test Suite
PD Per
Diem
PD Police
Department
PD Potential
Difference
PD Public
Domain
PDAD Proposed
Draft ADdendum
PDE Partial
Differential Equation
PDES Product
Data Exchange Specifications
PDF Program
Development Facility
PDL Page
Description Language
PDL Program
Design Language
PDN Public
Data Network
PDP Plasma
Display Panel
PDP Programmed
Data Processor
PDP Programmed
Data Processor [DEC]
PDQ Pretty
Damned Quick
PDS Premises
Distribution System [AT&T]
PDT Pacific
Daylight Time
PE Phase
Encoded
PE Physical
Education
PE Prince
Edward island
PE Printer's
Error
PE Professional
Engineer
PE Protestant
Episcopal
PEI Prince
Edward Island
PEP Productivity
Enhancement Project
PEPE Pepe
Est Presque Emacs
PERL Pathologically
Eclectic Rubbish Lister
PERL Practical
Extraction and Report Language
PEX Phigs/phigs+
Extension to X
PFC Plasma
Fusion Center [MIT]
PG Parental
Guidance (suggested) [Movie rating]
PGA Professional
Graphics Adapter
PGA Pure
Grain Alcohol
PHA Pulse
Height Analyzer (or Analysis)
PHIGS Programmers
Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System
PHS Public
Health Service
PhysRev Physical Review Journal -
Phys Rev
PI Principal
Investigator
PI Priority
Interrupt
PI Private
Investigator
PIC Plastic/Polyethelene
Insulated Cable [Telephony]
PIC Position
Independant Code
PIF Paid
In Full
PIT Principal,
Interest, and Taxes
PIXEL PIcture
ELement
PLA Programmable
Logic Array
PLATO Programmed
Learning for Automated Teaching Operations (U. Ill., early '70s)
PLC Programmable
Logic Controller
PLCC Plastic
Leaded Chip Carrier
PLL Phase-Locked
Loop
PLM Programming
Language for Microcomputers
PLO Palestine
(sic?) Liberation Organization (?)
PLO Please
Leave On
PLSS Portable
Life Support System [Space]
PM PayMaster
PM Police
Magistrate
PM Post
Meridiem
PM Post
Meridiem (after noon)
PM PostMaster
PM PostMortem
PM Pressurized
Module [Space]
PM Preventive
Maintenance
PM Prime
Minister
PM Provost
Marshal
PMC Permanently
Manned Capability [Space]
PMIRR Pressure
Modulated InfraRed Radiometer (on Mars Observer) [Space]
PMO Prime
Minister's Office
PMOS P
channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor (P-MOS) (see MOS)
PMS PreMenstrual
Syndrome
PMT PhotoMultiplier
Tube
PM/X Presentation
Manager for X windows
PN Promissory
Note
PNP Positive-Negative-Positive
(transistor)
PO Petty
Officer
PO Post
Office
PO Postal
Order
PO Purchase
Order
POC Port
Of Call
POD Pay
On Delivery
POE Port
Of Embarkation
POE Port
Of Entry
POGO Polar
Orbiting Geophysical Observatory
POM Phase
Of Moon
POP Point
of Presence [Telephony]
POP Post
Office Protocol [Networking] (esp. TCP/IP)
POPS Paperless
Order Processing System
POR Price
On Request
POS Point
Of Sale
POS Professional
Operating System [DEC]
POSI Promoting
conference for OSI
POSIX Portable
Operating System for unIX
POSIX Portable
Operating System Interface
POTS Plain
Old Telephone Service [Telephony]
POTV Personnel
Orbit Transfer Vehicle [Space]
POV Point
Of View
POW Prisoner
Of War
PP Parcel
Post
PP Past
Participle
PP Post
Pay (payphone) [Telephony]
PP Primary
Point
PPB Parts
Per Billion
PPC Pour
Prendre Conge' (to take leave)
PPCS Person
to Person, Collect, Special [Telephony]
PPM Parts
Per Million
PPN Parameterized
Post-Newtonian formalism for general relativity
PPN Project
Programmer Number
PPP Point-to-Point
Protocol (successor to SLIP (q.v.))
pps Packets
per Second
PPS PostPostScriptum
PPT Parts
Per Trillion
PPT Pulse
Pair Timing
PPT Punched
Paper Tape
PQ Province
of Quebec
PR PayRoll
PR Public
Relations
PR Puerto
Rico
PRC Planning
Research Corporation
PREPnet Pennsylvania Research &
Economic Partnership Network
PRI Primary
Rate Interface (ISDN) [Telephony]
PRN pro
re nata [Medicine] (as needed?)
PROFS PRofessional
OFfice System [IBM]
PROM Programmable
Read-Only Memory
PS PicoSecond
PS PostScript
PS PostScriptum
PS Power
Steering
PS Power
Supply
PS Proposed
Standard
PS Public
School
PSA Problem
Statement Analyzer
PSC Pittsburgh
Supercomputer Center
PSC Polar
Stratospheric Clouds
PSDN Public
Switched Data Network [Telephony]
PSDS Public
Switched Digital Service [Telephony, AT&T]
PSE Programming
Support Environment
PSF Point
Spread Function [Space]
PSG Platoon
SerGeant
PSI Performance
Systems International [Corporate name, Networking]
PSI Power
Systems, Incorporated [Corporate name, Model Railroading]
PSK Phase
Shift Keying
PSL Problem
Statement Language
PSN Packet
Switch Node [ARPANET/MILNET] (replaced IMP)
PSR Product
Specific Realizations
PSR PulSaR
[Space]
PSS (unknown
to me, but something in the UK environment)
PST Pacific
Standard Time
PSTN Public
Switched Telephone Network
PT Pacific
Time
PT Patrol
Torpedo (as in PT boat)
PT Physical
Therapy
PT Physical
Training
PTA Parent-Teacher
Association
PTD Parallel
Transfer Disk
PTL Praise
The Lord (ministry)
PTN Plant
Test Number [Telephony] (actual number assigned for 800 service)
PTO Patent
and Trademark Office
PTO Please
Turn Over
PTO Power
Take-Off
PTT Post,
Telephone and Telegraph administration
PTV Passenger
Transport Vehicle [Space]
PUC Public
Utilities Commision
PV Photovoltaic
[Space]
PVC Permanent
Virtual Circuit (see also VC)
PVC Poly-Vinyl
Chloride
PVO Pioneer
Venus Orbiter [Space]
PW Prisoner
of War (usually POW)
PWG Permanent
Working Group
PX Post
eXchange (see BX)
QAM Quadrature
Amplitude Modulation
QC Quality
Control
QC Queen's
Counsel (KC when queen reigning)
QD Quaque
Die (daily) [Medicine]
QDA Quantity
Discount Agreement
QED Quod
Erat Demonstrandum (which was to be demonstrated) [Latin]
QEF Quod
Erat Faciendum (which was to be done) [Latin]
QEI Quod
Erat Inveniendum (which was to be found out) [Latin]
QET Quantum
Effect Transistor
QIC Quarter-Inch
Cartridge
QID Quater
In Die (four times a day) [Medicine]
QLI Query
Language Interpreter
QM QuarterMaster
QMC QuarterMaster
Corps
QMF Query
Management Facility
QMG QuarterMaster
General
QMS Quality
Micro Systems [Corporate name]
QNS Quantity
Not Sufficient
QSO Quasi-Stellar
Object [Space]
q.v. ????
(Latin(?): which see)
QWERTY first
six keys from left on top alphabetic row of standard keyboard
R Restricted
[Movie rating]
R Rolemaster
RA Regular
Army
RA Research
Assistant
RA Royal
Academy
RAAF Royal
Australian Air Force
RACE Random
Access Card Equipment
RACEP Random
Access and Correlation for Extended Performance
RAD Radiation
Absorbed Dose
RAD Rapid
Access Disk
RADAR RAdio
Detection And Ranging
RADM Rear
ADMiral
RAF Royal
Air Force
RAM Random
Access Memory (R/W)
RAM Red
Academicia de Mexico (Mexican Academic Network)
RARDE Royal
Armaments Research and Development Establishment
RARE R\'eseaux
Associ\'es pour la Recherche Europ\'eenne (the European Organization of
Research Networks)
RAS Reliability,
Availability, and Serviceability
RASC Residence
Account Service Center
RATS Radio
Amateur Telecommunications Society
R&B Rhythm
and Blues (commonly R and B)
RBC Red
Blood Count
RBI Runs
Batted In
RBOC Regional
Bell Operating Company
RC Red
Cross
RC Regional
Center
RC Resistor-Capacitor
circuit (as in filters)
RC Roman
Catholic
RCA Radio
Corporation of America [Corporate name]
RCAF Royal
Canadian Air Force
RCAS Reserve
Component Automation System
RCC Radio
Common Carrier
RCMP Royal
Canadian Mounted Police
RCS Reaction
Control System [Space]
R&D Research
and Development (commonly R and D)
RD Rural
Delivery
RDA Remote
Data Access
RDBMS Relational
DataBase Management System
RDF Radio
Direction Finding
REA Rail
Express Agency
RECON Reconnaissance
REM Rapid
Eye Movement
REO R.
E. Olds
REO Removable,
Erasable, Optical
RETMA Radio
{something(equipment?)?} {something?} Manufacturers' Association (????)
REXX Restructured
EXtended eXecutor
RF Radio
Frequency
RF Radio
Frequency [Space]
RFC Request
For Comments (ala ARPA Internet)
RFD Rehoboth
(MA) Fire Department
RFD Rural
Free Delivery
RFI Radio
Frequency Interference
RFI Radio
Frequency Interference [Space]
RFP Request
for Proposal
RFQ Request
for Quote
RFS Remote
File System
RGB Red
Green Blue
RGP Raster
Graphics Processor
RH Right
Hand
RHC Regional
(Bell) Holding Company
RHS Right
Hand Side
RI Rhode
Island
RIACS Research
Institute for Advanced Computer Science (NASA)
RIACS Research
Institute for Advanced Computer Science [Space]
RIAS Radio
In the American Sector, berlin
RIF Reading
Is Fundamental
RIF Reduction
In Force
RILM Repertoire
International de Literature Musicale
RIP Rest
In Peace (or Requiescat In Pace : latin)
RIP Routing
Interchange Protocol
RIPE R\'eseaux
IP Europ\'eenne (European IP Networks) (of RARE, q.v.)
RISC Reduced
Instruction Set Computer
RITA Recognition
of Information Technology Achievement award
RJE Remote
Job Entry
RLC Resistor
Inductor Capacitor
RLG Research
Libraries Group
RLIN Research
Libraries Information Network (run by RLG (q.v.))
RLL Run
Length Limited
RMA Radio
Manufacturers' Association
RMA Return
Materials Authorization
RMATS Remote
Maintenance Administration and Traffic System [Telephony]
RMS Remote
Manipulator System [Space]
RMS Richard
M. Stallman
RMS Root
Mean Square
RMS Royal
Mail Ship
RN Registered
Nurse
RN Royal
Navy
RNA RiboNucleic
Acid
RNGC Revised
New General Catalog [Space]
RNZAF Royal
New Zealand Air Force
ROFF Run-OFF
ROG Receipt
Of Goods
ROM Range
Of Motion [Medicine]
ROM Read-Only
Memory
ROM Rupture
Of Membrane (as in birth)
ROSAT ROentgen
SATellite [Space]
ROSE RATS
(q.v.) Open Systems Environment
ROSE Remote
Operations Service Entity (per ISO/CCITT layer 7)
ROTC Reserve
Officers' Training Corps
ROTS Rotary
Out Trunks Selectors
ROYGBIV Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue,
Indigo, Violet
RPC Remote
Procedure Call
RPG RePort
Generator
RPG Role
Playing Game
RPI Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute
RPM Revolutions
Per Minute
RPN Reverse
Polish Notation
RPO Railway
Post Office
RPS Revolutions
Per Second
RPV Remotely
Piloted Vehicle
RQ RuneQuest
RR RailRoad
RR Route
Relay
RR Rural
Route
RRO Rate
and Route Operator [Telephony]
RS Recommended
Standard (EIA)
RS Recording
Secretary
RS Revised
Status
RS Right
Side
RS Royal
Society
RSCS Remote
Spooling Communications Subsystem
RSFSR Russian
Soviet Federated Socialist Republic
RSN Real
Soon Now
RSU Remote
Switching Unit
RSV Revised
Standard Edition
RSVP Repondez
S'il Vous Plait (please reply)
RSWC Right
Side up With Care
RT RadioTelephone
RT RealTime
RTA Remote
Trunk Arrangement [Telephony]
RTAC Regional
Technical Assistance Center [Telephony]
RTF Rich
Text Format
RTFM Read
The @!# Manual
RTFM Read
The F***ing Manual
RTG Radioisotope
Thermoelectric Generator
RTG Radioisotope
Thermoelectric Generator [Space]
RTLS Return
To Launch Site (Shuttle abort mode) [NASA, Shuttle, Space]
RTR Ready
to Run [Model Railroading]
RTR Reel-To-Reel
RTS Request
To Send (EIA RS-232-C)
RTTY Radio
Teletype
RU Receive
Unit
RVD Remote
Virtual Disk [MIT]
RW Right
Worshipful
RW Right
Worthy
RX Receive
Ry Railway
S South
S Supplement
SA Salvation
Army
SA Seaman
Apprentice
SA Service
Assistant
SA Sex
Appeal
SA Sine
Anno (without date)
SA South
Africa
SA South
America
SA Subject
to Approval
SAA South
Atlantic Anomaly
SAA South
Atlantic Anomaly [Space]
SAA Systems
Application Architecture
SAC Special
Area Code [Telephony] (represent services, not places)
SAC Strategic
Air Command (see TAC)
SAC Strategic
Air Command [US military]
SADD Students
Against Drunk Driving
SAFENET Survivable Adaptable Fiberoptic
Embedded Network [US Navy]
SAM Surface
to Air Missile
SAM Surface-to-Air
Missile
SAMA Step-by-step
Automatic Message Accounting [Telephony]
SAMPEX Solar
Anomalous and Magnetospheric Particle EXplorer [Space]
SAMTO Space
And Missile Test Organization [Space]
SAO Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory [Space]
SAP Second
Audio Program
SAP Service
Access Point [OSI, Networking]
SAR Search
And Rescue
SAR Synthetic
Aperture Radar
SARA Satellite
pour Astronomie Radio Amateur [Space]
SARA Stichting
Academisch Rekencentrum Amsterdam (Amsterdam Universities Computing Center)
SAREX Search
and Rescue Exercise [Space]
SAREX Shuttle
Amateur Radio Experiment [Space]
SARTS Switched
Access Remote Test System
SAS Small
Astronomy Satellite
SAS Space
Activity Suit [Space]
SASE Self-Addressed
Stamped Envelope
SASI Shugart
Associates Systems Interface
SAT Satellite
[Space]
SAW Surface
Acoustic Wave
SBA Small
Business Administration
SC Secondary
Channel
SC Sectional
Center
S&C Skull
& Crossbones
SC South
Carolina
S/C SpaceCraft
[Space]
SC SubCommittee
SCA Shuttle
Carrier Aircraft [Space]
SCAD Subsonic
Cruise Armed Decoy
SCADC Standard
Central Air Data Computer
SCAME SCreen
oriented Anti-Misery Editor
SCAMP Single-Chip
A-series Mainframe Processor
SCAN Switched
Circuit Automatic Network
SCC Specialized
Common Carriers
SCC Switching
Control Center
SCCS Source
Code Control System
SCE Signal
Conversion Equipment
SCE Structure
Chart Editor
SCI SpaceCraft
Incorporated
SCIFI SCIence
FIction (often used pejoratively of what really isn't)
SCO Santa
Cruz Operation
SCOOPS SCheme
Object Oriented Programming System
SCOTS Surveilance
and Control Of Transmission Systems
SCSI Small
Computer Systems Interface
SCT Schmidt-Cassegrain
Telescope [Space]
SCUBA Self
Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
SCUD Subsonic
Cruise Unarmed Decoy
SD South
Dakota
SDB Source(?)
DeBugger
SDI Standard
Disk Interconnect [DEC]
SDI Strategic
Defense Initiative [Space, US Government]
SDIO Strategic
Defense Initiative Organization [Space, US Government]
SDLC Synchronous
Data Link Control [IBM]
SDM Sub-rate
Data Multiplexer
SDN Software
Defined Network [Telephony, AT&T]
SDN System
Development Network (Korea)
SDO Staff
Duty Officer
SDSC San
Diego Supercomputer Center
SDV Shuttle
Derived Vehicle [Space]
SE Service
Engineer (see also CE, FE)
SE South
East
SEATO SouthEast
Asia Treaty Organization
SEC Security
Exchange Commission
SECNAV SECretary
of the NAVy
SED Stream
EDitor
SEI Software
Engineering Institute (Carnegie Mellon)
SEI Space
Exploration Initiative [Space]
SEL Software
Engineering Laboratory
SEM Scanning
Electron Microscope
SEST Swedish-European
Submillimeter Telescope [Space]
SETI Search
for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence [Space]
SETI Search
for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence [Space]
SF San
Francisco
SF Science
Fiction; Speculative Fiction
SF Standard
Form
SF Star
Frontiers
SFRPG Science
Fiction Role Playing Game
SG StarGuard
SG SubGroup
SGML Standard
Generalized Markup Language
SHAPE Supreme
Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
SHAR SHell
ARchiver
SHCD Sherlock
Holmes Consulting Detective
SHF Super
High Frequency (3-30GHz)
SHRPG Super
Hero Role Playing Game
SI Staten
Island
SIAM Society
for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
SID Sudden
Ionospheric Disturbance [Space]
SIG Special
Interest Group
SIGCAT Special
Interest Group for Cd-rom Applications Technology
SIMD Single
Instruction, Multiple Data
SIMM Single
In-line Memory Module
SIMM System
Integrated Memory Module
SINE SINE
is not EINE
SIPS Satellite
Imagery Processing System
SIR Shuttle
Imaging Radar [Space]
SIRTF Space
(formerly Shuttle) InfraRed Telescope Facility [Space]
SIRTF Space
Infrared Telescope Facility [Space]
SIS Strategic
Information System
SISCOM Satellite
Information System COMpany
SITA Societe
Internationale Telecommunications Aeronautiques
SJ Society
of Jesus
Skyhook Surface to space
"elevator" transportation system [Space]
SL Salvage
Loss
SL Space
Launch [Space]
SL SpaceLab
[Space]
SLA Special
Libraries Association
SLA Synchronous
Line Adapter
SLAC Stanford
Linear Accelerator Center
SLAN Sine
Loco, Anno, (vel) Nomine (without place, year, or name)
SLAR Side
Looking Airborne Radar
SLAR Side-Looking
Airborne Radar [Space]
SLBM Submarine
Launched Ballistic Missiles
SLC Space
Launch Complex [Space]
SLC Subscriber
Loop Carrier [Telephony]
SLDC Synchronous
Data Link Control
SLIP Serial
Line Internet Protocol
SLIP Serial
Line IP (sometimes SL/IP) (see also PPP)
SLP Super
Long Play (VHS VCR)
SLS Space(lab)
Life Sciences [Space]
SM Service
Mark
SMA Sergeant
Major of the Army
SMA Spectrum
Manufacturers Association
SMC Small
Magellanic Cloud (see LMC)
SMC Small
Magellanic Cloud [Space]
SMD Storage
Module Device (interface standard for disk drives)
SMD Surface
Mounted Devices
SMDR Station
Message Detail Recording [Telephony]
SMDS Switched
Multi-megabit Data Service [Telephony, Networking]
SME Solar
Mesosphere Explorer [Space]
SMEGMA Sophisticated
Modern Editor with Gloriously Magnificent Abilities
SMERSH Abbr.
of Russian phrase meaning "Death to the spies."
SMEX SMall
EXplorers [Space]
SMILS Sonobuoy
Missile Impact Location System
SMM Solar
Maximum Mission (satellite 1980-1989) [Space]
SMTP Simple
Mail Transfer Protocol
SMU Southeastern
Massachusetts University
SMU Southern
Methodist University
SN Science
News [Periodical]
SN Serial
Number
SN Super
Nova
SN SuperNova
(e.g., SN1987A) [Space]
SNA Systems
Network Architecture [IBM]
SNADS SNA
Distribution Services
SNAFU Situation
Normal -- All Fouled Up (also more profane versions)
SNAP Shipboard
Non-tactical Automated data Processing program
SNAP Sub
Network Access Protocol [OSI, Networking]
SNCF Societe
National des Chemins de Fer (French National Railways)
SNF Server-Natural
Format
SNMP Simple
Network Management Protocol [TCP/IP]
SNOBOL StriNg
Oriented symbOLic Language
SNPA SubNetwork
Point of Attachment
SNR Signal
to Noise Ratio
SNR Signal
to Noise Ratio [Space]
SNR SuperNova
Remnant [Space]
SNU Solar
Neutrino Units [Space]
SO Seller's
Option
SO Significant
Other
SO Space
Opera
SO Strike
Out
SOAP Symbolic
Optimizing Assembler Program
SOFIA Stratospheric
Observatory For Infrared Astronomy [Space]
SOH Start
Of Header, ASCII control character (dec=01,control-A)
SOHIO Standard
Oil of oHIO [Corporate name]
SOHO SOlar
Heliospheric Observatory [Space]
SOL Short
on Landing (or, colloquially, Shit Out of Luck)
SONAR SOund
Detection And Ranging
SONET Synchronous
Optical Network [Telephony]
SOP Standard
Operating Procedure
SOS Save
Our Souls (International standard distress call, Morse ...---...)
SOS Silicon
On Sapphire
SOS Son
of Stopgap (editor) [DEC]
SP Shore
Patrol
SP Short
Play (VHS VCR)
s.p. sine
prole (Latin: without issue) [Genealogy]
SP Southern
Pacific [Corporate name, Railroading]
SP Stack
Pointer
SP Star
Patrol
SPA Software
Publishers Association
SPAG Standards
Promotion and Applications Group
SPAN Space
Physics and Analysis Network [NASA] (DECnet)
SPAN Space
Physics and Analysis Network [Space]
SPAR Stock
Points Adp Replacement
SPARC Scalable
Processor ARChitecture
SPARC Standards,
Planning, And Requirements Committee
SPAWAR naval
SPAce and WARfare command
SPC Software
Productivity Consortium
SPCA Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
SPCC Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
SPDM Special
Purpose Dextrous Manipulator [Space]
SPEC Systems
Performance Evaluation Cooperative
SPITBOL SPeedy ImplemenTation of snoBOL
SPNI Society
for the Protection of Nature in Israel
SPOT Systeme
Probatoire pour l'Observation de la Terre [Space]
SPS Solar
Power Satellite [Space]
SPUR Systech
Pluraxial Unplug Repeater
SQE Signal
Quality Error (IEEE 802.3, eqv to D/I/X "Collision Presence Test")
[Ethernet]
SQIID Simultaneous
Quad Infrared Imaging Device (at NOAO)
SQL Structured
Query Language
SQUID Superconducting
QUantum Interference Device
SRAM Short
Range Attack Missile
SRAM Static
RAM
SRB Solid
(fuel) Rocket Booster [Space]
SRG Short
and Ring Ground (test) [Telephony]
SRI Stanford
Research Institute
SRM Solid
Rocket Motor [Space]
SRO Standing
Room Only
SS7 Signalling
System #7 [Telephony]
SSA Social
Security Administration [US Government]
SSB Single
Side Band
SSC Superconducting
Super Collider
SSE South-SouthEast
SSF Space
Station Fred (er, Freedom) [Space]
SSF Space
Station Freedom [NASA, Space]
SSFF Showcase
Software Factory of the Future
SSG Staff
SerGeant
SSI Small
Scale Integration
SSI Solid-State
Imager (on Galileo) [Space]
SSI Space
Services Incorporated [Corporate name, Space]
SSI Space
Studies Institute [Space]
SSI Supplemental
Security Income
SSME Space
Shuttle Main Engine [Space]
SSPF Space
Station Processing Facility [Space]
SSPS Satellite
Solar Power Station [Space]
SSR Secondary
Surveillance Radar
SSR Soviet
Socialist Republic
SSRMS Space
Station Remote Manipulator System [Space]
SST Spectroscopic
Survey Telescope [Space]
SST SuperSonic
Transport [Space]
SSTO Single
Stage To Orbit [Space]
SSTV Slow
Scan TeleVision
SSW South-SouthWest
ST Short
Ton
STARS Software
Technology for Adaptable, Reliable Systems
STD Sacrae
Theologiae Doctor (doctor of sacred theology)
STD Sexually
Transmitted Disease (replaces VD)
STD State
Transition Diagram
STD Subscriber
Trunk Dialing (British, and elsewhere; equiv. DDD in USA)
STI Standard
Tape Interconnect [DEC]
STILO Scientific
and Technical Intelligence Liaison Office
STIS Space
Telescope Imaging Spectrometer (to replace FOC and GHRS) [Space]
STL St.
Louis (airport designation)
STN SuperTwisted
Nematic
STOL Short
TakeOff and Landing
STP Shielded
Twisted Pair [Telecom, Networking]
STP Software
Through Pictures
STP Standard
Temperature and Pressure (see NTP)
STRPG Star
Trek: The Role-Playing Game
STS Space
Transportation System (space shuttle) [NASA]
STScI Space
Telescope Science Institute [Space]
STV Single
Transferable Vote
STV Space
Transfer Vehicle [Space]
SUM Symantec
Utilities for Macintosh
SUN Stanford
University Network
SUN SUN
MicroSystems Computer (not an Acronym) [Corporate name]
SUNOCO SUN
Oil COmpany [Corporate name]
SUNY State
University of New York
SURAnet Southeastern Universities Research
Association Network
SVID System
V Interface Definition
SW South
West
SW SuperWorld
SWAS Submillimeter
Wave Astronomy Satellite [Space]
SWBT South
Western Bell Telephone [Telephony]
SWF ShortWave
Fading [Space]
SWIFT Society
for Worldwide Interbank Financial Communications
SWS Scientific
Workstation Support
SXS Step
by Step switching [Telephony]
T Traveler
T1 1.544Mbps
[Telephony], one of the basic signalling systems 24x64Kb
T3 45Mbps
(eq 28 T1 channels) [Telephony]
TA Teaching
Assistant
TAC Tactical
Air Command (see SAC)
TAC Terminal
Access Controller [ARPANET/MILNET] (replaced TIP)
TACACS Terminal
Access Controller Access Control System [ARPANET/MILNET]
TACCS Tactical
Army Combat service support Computer System
TAE Transportable
Applications Environment
TAL Trans-Atlantic
Abort Landing [NASA, Shuttle]
TAL Transatlantic
Abort Landing (Shuttle abort plan) [Space]
TANSTAAFL There
Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
TAR Tape
ARchiver
TASI Time
Assign{ment,ed} Speech Interpolation [Telephony]
TAU Thousand
Astronomical Units [Space]
TB TuBerculosis
TBA To
Be Announced
TBD To
Be Determined
TBD To
Be Done
TC Teachers
College
TCA Terminal
Controlled Airspace
TCP Transmission
Control Protocol
TCP/IP Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
TCS Thermal
Control System [Space]
TCSEC Trusted
Computer System Evaluation Criteria (orange book)
TCT To
Challenge Tomorrow
TD Tardive
Dyskinesia
TD TouchDown
TD Treasury
Department
TDCC Transportation
Data Coordinating Committee
TDE Transition
Diagram Editor
TDI Trusted
Database Interpretation
TDM Time-Division
Multiplexer
TDR Time
Domain Reflectometer
TDRS Tracking
and Data Relay Satellite [Space]
TDRSS Tracking
and Data Relay Satellite System [Space]
TDY Temporary
DutY
TECO Tape
Editor and COrrector
TECO Text
Editor and COrrector
TEFLON polyTEtraFLuOrethyleNe
TES Thermal
Emission Spectrometer (on Mars Observer) [Space]
TFP Tops
Filing Protocol
TFS Translucent
File System
TFT The
Fantasy Trip
TFT Thin
Film Transistor
TG Thieves'
Guild
TGV Tres
Grande Vitesse (French, Very High Speed) [Railroading]
TGV Two
Guys and a VAX (humorous variant) [Corporate name]
THIEF THief
Isn't Even Fine
THIEF This
Here Isn't Even Fine
THOR Tandy
High-intensity Optical Recording
TI Texas
Instruments
TIA Thanks
In Advance [Net jargon]
TIA Transient
Ischemic Attack
TIC TermInfo
Compiler
TID Ter
In Die (three times a day)
TID Transaction
ID
TIFF Tag
Image File Format
TIP Terminal
Interface Processor [ARPANET/MILNET] (replaced by TAC)
TIS Trusted
Information Systems [Corporate name]
TISN Tokyo
International Science Network (Japan)
TKO Technical
Knock Out [Boxing]
TL Total
Loss
TLA Three
Letter Acronym
TLC Tender
Loving Care
TLI Transort-Level
Interface
TM TradeMark
TMA Tycho
Magnetic Anomaly (movie 2001)
TMAC Treasury
department's Multiuser Acquisition Contract
TMIS Telecommunications
Management Information System
TMO Telephone
Money Order
TMP The
Morrow Project
TMRC Tech
Model Railroad Club [MIT]
TMRC Transportation
Modeling Research Center (TMRC {above} alter ego)
TN Tennessee
TN Twisted
Nematic
TNC Threaded
Neill Concelman (connector) [Electronics] (see also BNC)
TNF Tumor
Necrosis Factor [Biology, Medicine]
TNP Tech
Nickel Plate (RR) [TMRC]
TNT TriNitro
Toluene
TO Telegraph
Office
TO Turn
Over
TODS Transactions
on Database Systems (ACM)
TOMS Total
Ozone Mapping Spectrometer [Space]
TOMS Transactions
on Mathematical Software (ACM)
TOOIS Transactions
on Office Information Systems (ACM)
TOP Technical
Office Protocol
TOPLAS Transactions
on Programming Languages and Systems (ACM)
TOPS Traffic
Operator Position System [Telephony]
TOPSMP Traffic
Operator Position System Multipurpose [Telephony]
TORES Text
ORiented Editing System
TOS Transfer
Orbit Stage [Space]
TOW Tube
launched, Optically tracked, and Wire guided
TOY Time
Of Year (clock)
TP Transaction
Processing
TP Transport
Protocol (ISO/CCITT Transport Services (TP0-TP4); like TCP)
TP4 Transport
Protocol, class 4 [ISO]
TPC The
Phone Company (from classic movie: _The President's Analyst_)
TPI Tracks
Per Inch
TPO Traveling
Post Office
TPP TetraarylPorPhyrin
TPS Technical
Publishing Software
TPS TeleProcessing
Services
TPS Thermal
Protection System [Space]
TR Tech
Report (at least at LCS (q.v.), maybe others)
TR Technical
Reference [Bell, Telephony]
TRG Tip
and Ring Ground (test) [Telephony]
TROFF Text
RunOFF, text formatter
TRUSIX TRUSted
unIX
TRW Thompson,
Ramo, and Woolridge
TS Top
Secret
TSAP Transport
Service Access Point [OSI, Networking]
TSD Total
System Design
TSP Teleprocessing
Services Program
TSP Thrift
Savings Plan
TSP Time
Synchronization Protocol
TSP TriSodium
Phosphate
TSR TSR
(Fortune 500 Company that manufactures Dungeons & Dragons)
TSS Tethered
Satellite System [Space]
TSTO Two
Stage to Orbit [Space]
T&T Tunnels
& Trolls
TTFN Tah
Tah, For Now
TTL Transistor
Transistor Logic
TTMA Tennessee
Tech Microcomputer Association
TTU Tennessee
Technological University
TTY TeleTYpe
TUNIS Toronto
UNIversity System
TV TeleVision
TVA Tennessee
Valley Authority
TW Thieves'
World
TWA Trans
World Airlines [Corporate name]
TWB Terrestrial
WideBand [Networking, DARPA]
TWIMC To
Whom It May Concern
TWT Traveling
Wave Tube
TWX TeletypeWriter
eXchange
TX Texas
Tx Transmit
u (representing
the greek mu) - micro
U Universe
UA United
Artists
UAR United
Arab Republic
UAR User
Action Routine
UARS Upper
Atmosphere Research Satellite [Space]
UART Universal
Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter
UBA UniBus
Adapter [DEC]
UBC Universal
Bibliographic Control
UBC University
of British Columbia
UBM Unpressurized
Berthing Mechanism [Space]
UCAR University
Corporation for Atmospheric Research
UCB University
of California at Berkeley
UCD Uniform
Call Distributor [Telephony]
UCD University
of California at Davis
UCI University
of California at Irvine
UCL University
College London
UCLA University
of California at Los Angeles
UCR University
of California at Riverside
UCSB University
of California at Santa Barbara
UCSC University
of California at Santa Cruz
UCSD University
of California at San Diego
UCSF University
of California at San Francisco
UDB Unified
DataBase
UDMH Unsymmetrical
DiMethyl Hydrazine [Space]
UDP User
Datagram Protocol
UEC User
Environment Component
UFO Unidentified
Flying Object [Space]
UGC Uppsala
General Catalog [Space]
UH Upper
Half
UHF Ultra
High Frequency (300-3000MHz)
UID Unique
IDentifier
UID User
IDentification [UNIX]
UIMS User
Interface Management System
UIT Ultraviolet
Imaging Telescope (Astro package) [Space]
UIUC University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
UK United
Kingdom
UKST United
Kingdom Schmidt Telescope [Space]
UL Underwriters
Laboratory
ULANA Unified
Local-Area Network Architecture
UMOC Ugliest
Man On Campus [MIT]
UMT Universal
Military Training
UN United
Nations
UNESCO United
Nations Educational, Scientific, & Cultural Organization
UNICEF United
Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (now United Nat. Child. Fund)
UNICS UNiplex
Information Computer Services
UNIX Not
an acronym at all. Was a joke on MIT's
MULTICS.
UNMA Unified
Network Management Architecture [AT&T]
UNO United
Nations Organization
UP Union
Pacific [Railroading, Corporate name]
UPC Universal
Product Code
UPI United
Press International
UPI United
Press International [Corporate name]
UPS Uninterruptible
Power Supply
UPS United
Parcel Service [Corporate name]
UR University
of Rochester
URI University
of Rhode Island
US United
States (of America)
USA Union
of South Africa
USA United
States Army
USA United
States of America
USAF United
States Air Force
USAFA United
States Air Force Academy (in Colorado Springs)
USAN University
Satellite Network
USB Upper
Side Band
USC University
of Southern California
USCG United
States Coast Guard
USDA United
States Department of Agriculture
USES United
States Employment Service
USFL United
States Football League
USGS United
States Geological Survey
USIA United
States Information Agency
USM United
States Mail
USMC United
States Marine Corps
USMP United
States Microgravity Payload [Space]
USN United
States Navy
USO United
Service Organizations
USO Unix
Software Operation
USP United
States Pharmacopeia
USPS United
States Postal Service
USR User
Service Routines
USS United
States Ship
USSR Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics
USSS User
Services and Systems Support
USW Und
So Weiter
UT Universal
Time (a.k.a. GMT, UTC, or Zulu Time)
UT University
of Tennessee
UT University
of Texas
UT UTah
UTC Coordinated
Universal Time (a.k.a. UT)
UTC Universal
Coordinated Time (a.k.a. UT)
UTnet University
of Texas Network
UTP Unshielded
Twisted Pair [Telecom, Networking]
UUCP UNIX-to-UNIX
Copy Program
UUG Unix
User Group
UV UltraViolet
UVS UltraViolet
Spectrometer
UW UnderWriter
UW Univ
of Wisconsin
VA Veterans
Administration
VA Virginia
VAB Vehicle
Assembly Building (formerly Vertical Assembly Building) [Space]
VAFB Vandenberg
Air Force Base [Space]
VAN Value
Added Network (e.g. Tymnet, Telenet, etc)
VANS Value-Added
Network Services
VAR Value
Added Remarketer (reseller)
VASI Visual
Approach Slope Indicator
VAT Value
Added Tax
VAX Virtual
Address eXtended
VAXBI VAX
Bus Interconnect
VC Viet
Cong
VC Virtual
Circuit
Vcc Voltage
(Common Cathode?)
VCM Voice
Coil Motor
VCO Voltage
Controlled Oscillator
VCR VideoCassette
Recorder
VCU Virginia
Commonwealth University
VD Venereal
Disease (see also STD)
VDFM Virtual
Disk File Manager
VDI Virtual
Device Interface
VDM Vienna
Development Method
VDM Virtual
Device Metafile
VDT Video
Display Terminal
VEEGA Venus-Earth-Earth
Gravity Assist (Galileo flight path) [Space]
VF Video
Frequency
VF Voice
Frequency
VFO Variable
Frequency Oscillator
VFR Visual
Flight Rules [Aviation]
VFW Veterans
of Foreign Wars
VFW Volunteer
Fire Department
VG Very
Good
VG Vicar-General
VGA Video
Graphics Array
Vgg Voltage
(Gate to Ground?)
V&H Vertical
and Horizontal (CO coordinate tape) [Telephony]
VHDL Vhsic
Hardware Description Language
VHF Very
High Frequency (30-300MHz)
VHS Video
Home System (VCR)
VHSIC Very
High Speed Integrated Circuit
VI VIsual
editor
VIABLE Vertical
Installation Automation BaseLinE
VILE VI
Like Emacs
VINE Vine
Is Not Emacs
VIP Very
Important Person
VISTA Volunteers
In Service To America
VITA Vme
International Trade Association
VJ Video
Jockey
VL Vulgar
Latin
VLA Very
Large Array [Space]
VLBA Very
Long Baseline Array [Space]
VLBI Very
Long Baseline Interferometry [Space]
VLF Very
Low Frequency (3-30KHz)
VLIW Very
Long Instruction Word
VLSI Very
Large Scale Integration
VLT Very
Large Telescope [Space]
VM Virtual
Memory
VM/CMS Virtual
Machine/Conversational Monitor System
VMM Virtual
Memory Manager
VMOS Vertical
Metal Oxide Semiconductor (V-MOS) (see MOS)
VMR Vertical
Market Reseller
VMS Vertical
Motion Simulator [Space]
VMS Virtual
Memory System [DEC]
VOA Voice
Of America
VOIR Venus
Orbiting Imaging Radar (superseded by VRM) [Space]
VOIS Voice-Operated
Information System
VOQ Visiting
Officer's Quarters
VPI&SU Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University
VRC Vertical
Redundancy Character
VRM Venus
Radar Mapper (now called Magellan) [Space]
VRM Virtual
Resource Manager
VSAT Very
Small Aperture Terminal (satellite dish)
VSX X/open
Verification Suite
VTAM Virtual
Telecommunications Access Method [IBM]
VTOC Volume
Table Of Contents
VTOL Vertical
TakeOff and Landing
VTR VideoTape
Recorder
VUP Vax
Unit of Performance
V&V Villains
& Vigilantes
VVSS Vertical
Volute Spring Suspension
W West
W Width
WA Washington
WA Western
Australia
WAC Womens
Air Corps
WAIS Wide
Area Information Server
WARC World
Administrative Conference
WATS Wide
Area Telephone Service
WB Water
Ballast
WB WayBill
WBC White
Blood Cells
WC Water
Closet
WC Without
Charge
WCTU Women's
Christian Temperance Union
WD White
Dwarf [Space]
w.d. will
dated [Genealogy]
WECo Western
Electric Company [AT&T] (manufacturing arm of AT&T)
WFPC Wide
Field / Planetary Camera (on HST) [Space]
WFPCII Replacement
for WFPC [Space]
WG Working
Group
WH WarHammer
WHBL World
Home Bible League
WHCA White
House Communications Agency [US Government]
WHO World
Health Organization
WI Wisconsin
WIMP Windows/Icons/Mouse
Programming(?)
WIPP (nuclear)
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant [DOE]
WIS WWMCCS
Information System
WITS Washington
Interagency Telecommunications System
WIYN Wisconsin
/ Indiana / Yale / NOAO telescope [Space]
WMSCR Weather
Message Switching Center Replacement
WOM Write
Only Memory
WOP WithOut
Papers [Immigration]
WOPR War
Operations Planned Response (from "Wargames" movie)
WORM Write
Once, Read Many times
WOW Worlds
of Wonder
w.p. will
proved [Genealogy]
WP Word
Processing
WP Working
Paper
WPI Worcester
Polytechnic Institute
WSI Wafer
Scale Integration
WSMR White
Sands Missile Range [Space]
WSW West-SouthWest
WTR Western
Test Range [Space]
WU Washington
University
WU Western
Union
WUPPE Wisconsin
Ultraviolet PhotoPolarimter Experiment (Astro package) [Space]
WV West
Virginia
WW World
War
WWI World
War I
WWII World
War II
WWMCCS World-Wide
Military Command and Control System
WY Wyoming
WYSIWIS What You See Is What I See
WYSIWYG What You See Is What You Get
XCF eXperimental
Computing Facility
XD without
Dividend
XDR eXternal
Data Representation
XFER Transfer
XINU XINU
Is Not UNIX
XL eXtra
Large
XMM X-ray
Multi Mirror [Space]
XMTR transMiTteR
(the X is for trans)
XNS Xerox
Network Services
XO eXecutive
Officer
XOR eXclusive
OR (logical function)
XPORT Transport
XSECT cross
SECTion
XTAL crysTAL
(another version of x for crys, see XMTR)
XUI X-windows
User Interface
XUV eXtreme
UltraViolet [Space]
YA Yet
Another
YACC Yet
Another Compiler Compiler
YB YearBook
YMCA Young
Mens Christian Association
YMHA Young
Mens Hebrew Association
YOB Year
Of Birth
YP Yellow
Pages
YRS Ysgarth
Rules System
YSO Young
Stellar Object [Space]
YST Yukon
Standard Time
YT Yukon
Territory
YT Yukon
Time
YTD Year
To Date
YWCA Young
Womens Christian Association
YWHA Young
Womens Hebrew Association
Z Zenith
Z Zero
Z Zulu
(time)
ZB Zero
Beat
ZETA Zero
Energy Thermonuclear Assembly
ZGS Zero
Gradient Synchrotron
ZI Zonal
Index
ZIF Zero
Insertion Force (connector/socket)
ZIP Zone
Improvement Plan (US post office code)
ZK barrage
balloon (navy symbol)
ZMRI Zinc
Metals Research Institute
ZPG Zero
Population Growth
ZPRSN Zurich
Provisional Relative Sunspot Number
ZST Zone
Standard Time
ZT Zone
Time
ZWEI Zwei
Was Eine Initially