Subprograms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A smaller, secondary program that operates as a component within a larger software application
2. A distinct segment of code designed to perform a specific task within the framework of a main program
3. An auxiliary program intended to execute particular functions, contributing to the overall operation of a primary software system

Etymology: "Subprograms" is the plural of "subprogram", a compound formed from the prefix "sub-" and "program". The prefix comes from Latin "sub", meaning "under" or "below", so the word literally describes a program that sits beneath a larger one. The second half, "program", has its own path into English. It descends from Greek "prographein", meaning "to write before" or "to announce publicly", and passed through Latin "programma" before reaching English. Its original sense was a public notice or written announcement, and the software sense came much later, as computing adopted the older word for a set of instructions. In computing, a subprogram is a self-contained block of code that a larger program calls on to perform a specific task, and the same idea is often called a subroutine. Programmers join the two parts together to describe a reusable piece nested within a main program.

Synonyms: modules, components, subroutines, functions, libraries