Viewport

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈvjuːpɔː(ɹ)t/

Definitions

1. A defined area in a user interface that enables content visualization and interaction with digital elements
2. A designated section of a graphical interface through which users can observe and manipulate data
3. The portion of a graphical user interface where the user views and interacts with content

Etymology: "Viewport" is a compound of "view" and "port," and its literal sense is close to a window or opening through which something is seen. "Port" comes from Latin "porta," meaning gate or opening, and it reached English through Old English and Old French routes; "view" comes from Old French "veue," a seeing or sight. Put together, the pair describes a frame or aperture for looking. The "port" in the word is the same one found in "porthole" and "airport," where it likewise denotes an opening. A viewport was originally a physical opening, such as a window in a ship's hull or an aircraft's side, through which people could look out. The digital sense borrows that picture: the rectangular area of a screen through which a larger, possibly scrollable, document or scene is seen.

Synonyms: window, viewing area, display area