Opcodes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A set of operational codes used in machine language to instruct a computer on specific tasks or operations to perform
2. Specific coded instructions that a processor understands to execute predefined operations, often associated with programming and computing
3. Elements of machine language that define the operations a computer's CPU must perform to carry out tasks and process data

Etymology: "Opcodes" is the plural of "opcode," a compound formed from "op," short for "operation," and "code." The pairing reflects the word's literal sense: an opcode is the code that names a specific operation a processor carries out, such as adding two numbers or moving data from memory into a register. Each instruction a CPU executes begins with this numeric or symbolic code, which tells the hardware what to do with the operands that follow. The first half of the compound is a clipping, so "op" stands in for the whole word "operation" and carries the meaning of a single, discrete action. Pairing it with "code" in the older sense of a system of symbols for communication gives the term its plain meaning: a coded label for an operation.