segment definition

/seg'ment/ 1. <su:computer architecture> A collection of pages in a memory management system.

2. <computer programming> A separately relocatable section of an executable program. Unix executables have a text segment (executable machine instructions), a data segment (initialised data) and a bss segment (uninitialised data).

3. <networking> network segment.

4. To experience a segmentation fault. Confusingly, the stress is often put on the first syllable, like the noun "segment", rather than the second like mainstream verb "segment". This is because it is actually a noun shorthand that has been verbed.

5. A block of memory in a segmented address space.

(01 Sep 2004)

<biology> A portion of a larger body or structure, set off by natural or arbitrarily established boundaries.

Origin: L. Segmentum = a piece cut off

(11 Mar 2008)