Argument
/ɑːrɡ/
noun — “the tiny rebel in your command line that changes how programs behave.”
Arg, short for argument, in programming and command-line contexts, represents input values or options passed to a program, function, or script to modify its behavior or provide necessary data. For example, in a Unix-like shell, running grep "hello" file.txt passes hello and file.txt as Args to the grep command, telling it what to search for and where.
Gain
/ɡeɪn/
noun … “Measure of how effectively an antenna radiates or receives energy.”
Wavelength
/ˈweɪvˌlɛŋkθ/
noun … “Distance over which a wave repeats its shape.”
Parm
/pärm/
noun — “a parameter, squeezed down until only its intent remains.”
Parm is a further-compressed form of param, itself shorthand for “parameter.” It represents the tendency in computing cultures—especially those shaped by tight typing constraints, dense interfaces, or institutional jargon—to reduce commonly used technical terms into shorter, more efficient spoken and written forms.
Param
/pä-räm/
noun — “a named expectation that shapes how a function behaves before it ever runs.”
Param is shorthand for parameter, a fundamental concept in programming that describes a named input accepted by a function, procedure, or method. A parameter defines what kind of information a function expects in order to perform its task, acting as a placeholder that is filled when the function is actually called.