hash

UK: hæʃ | US: hæʃ

Definition

  1. n. 1. A dish of chopped meat, potatoes, and spices, typically cooked together.

  2. n. 2. A symbol (#) used in computing or social media to categorize content.

  3. vt. 3. To chop or mix food into small pieces.

  4. vt. 4. In computing, to convert data into a fixed-size value (hash value) using an algorithm.

Structure
has <to chop>h <reduplication or variant form>
Etymology

The word "hash" originates from the French hacher ("to chop"), derived from Old French hache ("axe"). The reduplicated "h" in English reflects iterative chopping or mixing. The computing sense (hash symbol, hash function) emerged in the 20th century, metaphorically extending the idea of "chopping" data into fragments.

Examples

  1. She prepared a hearty hash with leftover roast beef and potatoes.

  2. Use the hash (#) to tag your post for better visibility.

  3. The chef hashed the vegetables finely for the soup.

  4. Passwords are often hashed to protect user privacy.

  5. The algorithm hashes the input into a 256-bit value.