Applets

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small application designed to perform a specific task within a larger program or system
2. A lightweight software component that typically runs in a web browser or other software environment
3. A self-contained unit of functionality that extends the capabilities of a larger application or framework

Etymology: An applet is, quite literally, a little app. "App" is a clipping of "application," and "-let" is an English diminutive suffix, the same one that makes a "piglet" a small pig and a "booklet" a small book. The suffix came into English through Old French forms ending in "-elet" and "-et," so the name simply says that this unit is smaller than a full program. The root behind "application" is the Latin verb "applicare," meaning "to fasten to" or "to attach," which also gave English "apply" and "applicable." That original physical sense suits the modern meaning well: an applet is a small module attached to a larger host program or framework, extending it without standing on its own.

Synonyms: applications, programs, software, widgets, modules