Pdfs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Files in a specific digital format designed for presenting documents independently of software or hardware ; the plural form indicating multiple such files commonly used for sharing and printing documents ; electronic documents that preserve fonts, images, and layouts across platforms for easy viewing and distribution
2. Digital documents saved using a universal layout format allowing consistent appearance; indicating several such formatted files often used for reports or forms; multisensory containers for text and graphics viewable on various devices without alteration
3. Collections of pages and graphics encapsulated in a widely-used file type facilitating fixed-layout representation; the term in plural referring to multiple examples of this file structure utilized for electronic dissemination ; documents preserved in a portable format that supports precise viewing and printing across different environments

Etymology: "PDFs" is simply the plural of "PDF," the abbreviation of "Portable Document Format," a file format developed by Adobe Systems. The plural follows the ordinary English pattern of adding "s" to an acronym, so each file in the set is one PDF and a collection of them is "PDFs." The format's central purpose, as the name suggests, is portability: a PDF is meant to look the same on any device or operating system, preserving the fonts, images, and page layout exactly as the author set them.

Synonyms: documents, files