Definition of ping

ping

interjection

a message (sent literally) to enquire whether someone is present via instant messaging or internet chat. ACK is the affirmative response. (NAK is a humorous negative response, meaning "No, I'm not here.")
Person A: ping.

Person B: ACK.
Person A: ping.

Person B: NAK.
- See more words with the same meaning: computer slang.
- See more words with the same meaning: to schedule, check the availability of.
Last edited on Nov 15 2011. Submitted by WalterGR (via TheJargonFile) on Apr 18 2009.

noun

a measure of network lag, often used in online gaming.
I'm getting terrible pings, so I'm going to connect to a different server.
- See more words with the same meaning: computer slang.
Last edited on Apr 18 2009. Submitted by WalterGR (via TheJargonFile) on Apr 18 2009.
a short message sent to a person, often to enquire about their availability.
Could you send Bob a ping and see if he's available for a 4pm meeting?
- See more words with the same meaning: computer slang.
- See more words with the same meaning: to schedule, check the availability of.
Last edited on Apr 18 2009. Submitted by WalterGR (via TheJargonFile) on Apr 18 2009.

verb - transitive

to send a short message to someone or call them briefly, often to enquire about their availability.
Could you ping Bob and see if he's available for a 4pm meeting?
- See more words with the same meaning: computer slang.
- See more words with the same meaning: to schedule, check the availability of.
Last edited on Aug 02 2010. Submitted by Mark L. from Newburyport, MA, USA on Nov 07 1999.
to contact by any means.
I'll ping you later, when we are ready.
- See more words with the same meaning: computer slang.
- See more words with the same meaning: to contact, call, mail.
Last edited on Aug 02 2010. Submitted by Tom B. from Hoboken, NJ, USA on Aug 31 2003.
to send a message to a mailing list, requesting that all subscribers to the list respond to the message. This is done to verify that all subscribers' email addresses work properly.
I haven't gotten a status report from Tim lately, but he did respond when we pinged the development list.
- See more words with the same meaning: computer slang.
- See more words with the same meaning: to contact, call, mail.
Last edited on Nov 15 2011. Submitted by WalterGR (via TheJargonFile) on Apr 18 2009.

origin

From a utility written in 1983 by Mike Muuss, that checks whether a remote computer can respond to network traffic. In turn, this utility (ping) was named after the submariners' term for a sonar pulse (ping).
- See more words with the same meaning: computer slang.
- See more words with the same meaning: to schedule, check the availability of.
Last edited on Nov 15 2011. Submitted by WalterGR (via TheJargonFile) on Apr 18 2009.

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Related words

Slang terms with the same meaning

Other terms relating to 'computer slang':
egosurf	Definitions include: to search the world wide web for references that would enlarge a person's ego.
NVM	Definitions include: "never mind".
BBL	Definitions include: acronym for "be back later".
abt	Definitions include: "about".
beta	Definitions include: marijuana.
kludge	Definitions include: to use one or more kludges (as described in the noun sense) to solve a problem.
GTS	Definitions include: acronym for "Google that shit".
wall time	Definitions include: the "real world" time of day - i.e. the time of day displayed by the clock on the wall - rather than other measures of time, such as a computer's current uptime.
pen tester	Definitions include: "penetration tester".
IDBY	Definitions include: acronym for "I Don't Believe You."
backronym	Definitions include: a word that has come to be an acronym (or is viewed by some as an acronym) when it was not originally an acronym.
bit rot	Definitions include: a hypothetical disease that causes programs to run more poorly over time and causes documents to become corrupted.
lossy	Definitions include: in computing, of a data transformation, one which does not retain all of the data.
modulo	Definitions include: "except for".
firefight	Definitions include: to deal with urgent problems (usually at work.)
(show 548 more)
Other terms relating to 'to contact, call, mail':
buzz	Definitions include: to call on a telephone.
give (one) a shout	Definitions include: to contact a person.
hit up	Definitions include: to contact a person, especially by calling on a phone.
MySpace	Definitions include: to send a person a comment or a message on MySpace.com.
get up with	Definitions include: to contact (e.g. by telephone) or to hang out with.
butt-dial	Definitions include: to accidentally call a person on a cellphone that's in one's pocket.
HMU	Definitions include: acronym for "hit me up".
holla	Definitions include: to talk or to contact, especially at some later time.
Other terms relating to 'to schedule, check the availability of':
pencil in	Definitions include: to tentatively add something to one's schedule.
calendar	Definitions include: to examine schedules to determine a time when two or more people would be available to meet for some purpose.

Slang terms with the same root words

None. How about some random words?

eat at the Y	Definitions include: To perform oral sex on a female.
yadda yadda yadda	Definitions include: "Etc." "And on and on and on in a similar vein."
do-hickey	Definitions include: loose descriptive term for any object.
chicken out	Definitions include: to not go through with a plan because of fear.
TBD	Definitions include: acronym for "to-be determined".
gobsmacked	Definitions include: very surprised.
stamp	Definitions include: The act of seminating a voluminous and forceful amount of semen on someone's face.
hizzy	Definitions include: house.
*situation normal - all fcked up**	Definitions include: messed up as usual.
teenybopper	Definitions include: a (usually female) teenager who follows popular trends.