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Cookie

/ku̇-kē/

n. A handle, transaction ID, or other token of agreement between cooperating programs.

"I give him a packet, he gives me back a cookie."

The claim check you get from a dry-cleaning shop is a perfect mundane example of a cookie; the only thing it's useful for is to relate a later transaction to this one (so you get the same clothes back).

Compare magic cookie; see also fortune cookie.