Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
UNIX operating system

UNIX operating system

4.4
An operating system used on servers and work computers that lets many people use one computer together
  • noun
  • /ˈjuːnɪks ˈɑːpəreɪtɪŋ ˈsɪstəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sistema operativo UNIX
  • The main processor is an Indigo workstation from Silicon Graphics Inc. with the Unix operating system.
  • runs on the UNIX operating system

Examples

  • The Unix operating system allows multiple users to access the system simultaneously without interference.

  • The vast majority of web servers are UNIX machines, and the UNIX operating system is case sensitive.

    Academic text (1995)

  • A frequent speaker at security conferences, such as the Black Hat Briefings, her technical background includes in-depth security and administration knowledge of UNIX operating systems.

    Blog text (11)

  • At the time, the service ran on the open-source FreeBSD and Sun Solaris versions of the Unix operating system.

    Blog text (7)

  • C, originally invented to write the Unix operating system, runs on all platforms, from microcontrollers and hand-held devices to PCs and supercomputers.

    Academic text (2009)

  • Many web developers prefer to use the Unix operating system for its stability and security features.

  • To enhance its performance, the company migrated its server infrastructure to a Unix operating system.

Synonyms

UNIX
vsUNIX operating system
  • Specialized
11 4.5

An operating system for computers that lets many people use the same machine at once, often on servers or workstations

emphasizes widespread server and workstation use rather than origin
UNIX system
vsUNIX operating system
  • Specialized
1 4.4

An operating system for many users, known for being stable and used on servers

emphasizes power and server use rather than broader influence or stability

Surface Forms

UNIX operating system singular
UNIX operating systems plural

Morphology

UNIX + operating + system

The phrase is fully compositional: 'UNIX' names a specific operating system and 'operating system' transparently denotes software that manages hardware and runs programs. This modifier–noun structure is standard and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

UNIX operating system comes from a joke about an older, complex system called 'Multics'. The makers called their much smaller system Unics as a joke, later spelled UNIX, and that short name stuck, so today UNIX operating system refers to a family of stable systems used on many computers, for example to run websites.