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Glite Dictionary
LAN

LAN

11 3.4
A group of computers and devices in one building that share files and printers
  • noun
  • /læn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : red de área local
  • The office has a fast LAN that allows employees to share files quickly.
  • wireless LAN
  • local area network

What would prevent us from wiring them up to the LAN room as well?

Examples

  • You can easily print documents from any computer on the LAN.

  • After the students complete the course, they will have installed and used a "sub-LAN" and a local area network.

    Academic text (1991)

  • And so back in the day, these things were called LAN parties.

  • This is our first time on LAN together.

    Free to Play (2014)

  • Yeah, I was on the LAN when you destroyed Spencer.

    eHero (2018)

  • During 2006, vulnerabilities in wireless LAN drivers gained increasing attention in the security community.

    Blog text (11)

  • We work hard to keep viruses off the LAN, and you can't ever be sure what's invaded your machine.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • The class then installs the LAN software on the workstations and on the file server.

    Academic text (1991)

  • And the leak detection server was on the same Ethernet LAN as the two SCADA servers that went dark.

  • Every computer on the lab's LAN was infected before Ferris and Frankel had left the Artificial Life Sciences Building.

    Fiction book (2002)

Synonyms

computer network
vsLAN
  • Specialized
19 2.8

A group of computers and devices that are connected to share files and printers

is a smaller, area-limited system focusing on local device connections
local area network
vsLAN
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A network that connects computers and devices in one building like an office

is the same system described more generally
WLAN
vsLAN
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A wireless network that connects devices in a building or campus

is the small-area system that usually uses wires rather than radio
wireless local area network
vsLAN
  • Specialized
4.2

A system that sends data over short distances without wires, like in an office

is the small-area system that normally connects devices with cables rather than radio

Compounds

guai lan attitude
  • Slang
9.9

A way of behaving that is difficult on purpose to annoy other people

How Large

wide area network
  • Specialized
1 3.3
LAN
  • Specialized
11 3.4

Surface Forms

lan singular
lans plural

Morphology

LAN = local + area + network (semi-transparent) = L + A + N

The form is an initialism of 'local area network' and the meaning (a network limited to a small/local area) is directly recoverable from those words. [Postprocessing: changed transparency from 'transparent' to 'semi-transparent' for abbreviation]

Etymology

LAN is short for local area network. Here, local means 'nearby' and network means 'a group of things connected', so a LAN is a small group of computers and devices 'connected' in one place to share files and printers.