Currying

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkɝɹi.ɪŋ/

Definitions

1. A process used in mathematics and computer science where a function of multiple parameters is broken down into a sequence of functions, each accepting a single argument
2. In functional programming, it refers to the transformation of a function into a series of single-variable functions that can be called consecutively rather than simultaneously
3. A method in mathematics and computer science that involves transforming a function with multiple arguments into a series of nested functions, each taking only one argument

Etymology: Haskell Curry, the American mathematician and logician, did not invent the technique that bears his name, and nobody is recorded as having coined the term "currying" itself. The idea of turning a multi-argument function into a chain of single-argument functions goes back to the German logician Gottlob Frege, and it was developed further by the Russian-born mathematician Moses Schönfinkel, working in Germany. Curry's later work built on both, and the name stuck to the technique through his influence on the field. The verb is simply "curry" with the suffix "-ing" added, so "currying" names the act of performing the operation. The surname "Curry" is the root, and the rest is ordinary English word-building. The word is a relative newcomer, a mid-twentieth-century coinage in computing and logic rather than a term with centuries of use behind it.