Killfile

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A compilation designed to identify and exclude messages from selected sources A mechanism that assists users in managing their inbox by omitting certain communications A function in various programs that allows for the suppression of content from specified individuals
2. A record used to automatically reject emails or posts from particular senders
3. A tool that helps filter out messages from specific users by referencing a set list

Etymology: "Killfile" is a compound of "kill" and "file," and its literal sense is exactly what the parts suggest: a file in which a user stores the names or addresses of people whose messages they want automatically discarded. The idea belongs to the early days of Usenet and other text-based online forums, where a reader could tell the software to ignore everything from a given sender rather than scroll past it every day. The word is also written as two words, "kill file," and both spellings refer to the same thing. The "file" element keeps the older computing sense of a stored collection of data, while "kill" carries its common sense of eliminating or suppressing something, here an unwanted voice in the conversation.