Throbber

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈθɹɒ.bə/

Definitions

1. A visual indicator representing an ongoing process through rhythmic motion
2. An animated graphic that signifies a waiting period or task completion in digital interfaces
3. A moving symbol used to show that a task is currently processing or loading

Etymology: The throbber you see while a page loads owes its name to a browser logo. When Netscape's version 1.0 appeared, its busy indicator was a large blue letter "N", the company's logo at the time, which animated by expanding and contracting. That pulsing motion was exactly what a throb is, so the animation came to be called a throbber. The word itself is a simple formation: "throb", meaning a strong, rhythmic beat, plus the suffix "-er", which turns a verb into a noun for a thing that performs the action. A throbber, then, is literally something that throbs. The name outlived the blue "N". Any animated spinner or pulsing icon that signals work in progress is now called a throbber, even though the original design had nothing to do with spinning.

Synonyms: pulsator, beater