See /dev/null in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for /dev/null meaning in English (4.5kB)
{
"etymology_text": "From Unix operating systems, where /dev (the Unix directory containing device files) contains a null entry representing no device.",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"head": "/dev/null"
},
"expansion": "/dev/null",
"name": "en-proper noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "name",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Computing",
"orig": "en:Computing",
"parents": [
"Technology",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "82 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"coordinate_terms": [
{
"_dis1": "96 4",
"word": "bit bucket"
},
{
"_dis1": "96 4",
"word": "black hole"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "It's possible to suppress the compiler's warnings by redirecting standard error to /dev/null.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1980 October, Luis F. Cabrera, “A Performance Evaluation Study of UNIX”, in Harold Joseph Highland, editor, Computer Performance Evaluation Users Group 16th Meeting (National Bureau of Standards Special Publication; 500-65), Washington: Government Printing Office, page 235",
"text": "To avoid problems when running the script, the output of man man was sent to /dev/null instead of sending it to a real terminal. This has the effect of discarding the already formatted text of the retrieved page.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1993, Stephen A. Rago, UNIX System V Network Programming, Pearson, page 89",
"text": "[...] we reserve file descriptors 0, 1, and 2 by opening /dev/null and duplicating the file descriptor returned. /dev/null is a pseudo-driver that forces read to return 0 and write to return as if the entire amount requested had been written. This makes library routines that use file descriptors 0, 1, and 2 harmless.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2005, Eric Foster-Johnson with John C. Welch and Micah Anderson, Beginning Shell Scripting, John Wiley & Sons, page 263",
"text": "Continuing in the Unix tradition of treating everything as a file, you can redirect a command's output to the null file, /dev/null. The null file consumes all output sent to it, as if /dev/null is a black hole star.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A device file, present in Unix and Unix-like operating systems, that discards all data written to it and yields no output."
],
"hypernyms": [
{
"_dis1": "96 4",
"word": "null device"
},
{
"_dis1": "96 4",
"word": "pseudodevice"
}
],
"id": "en-/dev/null-en-name-lugpZQjm",
"links": [
[
"computing",
"computing#Noun"
],
[
"device",
"device"
],
[
"file",
"file"
],
[
"Unix",
"Unix"
],
[
"Unix-like",
"Unix-like"
],
[
"operating system",
"operating system"
],
[
"discard",
"discard"
],
[
"data",
"data"
],
[
"written",
"write"
],
[
"yield",
"yield"
],
[
"output",
"output"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(computing) A device file, present in Unix and Unix-like operating systems, that discards all data written to it and yields no output."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "84 16",
"word": "dev null"
},
{
"_dis1": "84 16",
"word": "dev-null"
},
{
"_dis1": "84 16",
"word": "devnull"
}
],
"topics": [
"computing",
"engineering",
"mathematics",
"natural-sciences",
"physical-sciences",
"sciences"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1992 September 17, Douglas Meier <dmeier@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>, “Welfare Reform Idea”, in talk.politics.misc (Usenet), message-ID <1992Sep17.064757.551@news.acns.nwu.edu>",
"text": "Thoughtful discussion and criticism is welcomed, but please send all flames to dev null.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1993 December 18, Carmien Stefan <carmien@alumni.cs.Colorado.EDU>, “RLP hosed”, in alt.unix.wizards (Usenet), message-ID <CI7Gt6.DAo@Colorado.EDU>",
"text": "suddenly the RLP calls form atlanta apparently go to dev null.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2004 January 17, Ronald D. Edge <InactiveX666@hotmail.com>, “PayPal pyramid scam”, in news.admin.net-abuse.email (Usenet), message-ID <SDaOb.873$Ly6.642264@newshog.newsread.com>",
"text": "The email will explicitly state that you cannot reply to the email, it will go to dev null.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Nowhere; often suggests an intent to ignore specific correspondence."
],
"id": "en-/dev/null-en-name-sVLmAtLR",
"links": [
[
"Internet",
"Internet"
],
[
"slang",
"slang"
],
[
"Nowhere",
"nowhere"
],
[
"suggest",
"suggest"
],
[
"intent",
"intent"
],
[
"ignore",
"ignore"
],
[
"correspondence",
"correspondence"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(Internet slang, figuratively) Nowhere; often suggests an intent to ignore specific correspondence."
],
"tags": [
"Internet",
"figuratively"
]
}
],
"word": "/dev/null"
}
{
"categories": [
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English proper nouns",
"English uncountable nouns"
],
"coordinate_terms": [
{
"word": "bit bucket"
},
{
"word": "black hole"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Unix operating systems, where /dev (the Unix directory containing device files) contains a null entry representing no device.",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"head": "/dev/null"
},
"expansion": "/dev/null",
"name": "en-proper noun"
}
],
"hypernyms": [
{
"word": "null device"
},
{
"word": "pseudodevice"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "name",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples",
"en:Computing"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "It's possible to suppress the compiler's warnings by redirecting standard error to /dev/null.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1980 October, Luis F. Cabrera, “A Performance Evaluation Study of UNIX”, in Harold Joseph Highland, editor, Computer Performance Evaluation Users Group 16th Meeting (National Bureau of Standards Special Publication; 500-65), Washington: Government Printing Office, page 235",
"text": "To avoid problems when running the script, the output of man man was sent to /dev/null instead of sending it to a real terminal. This has the effect of discarding the already formatted text of the retrieved page.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1993, Stephen A. Rago, UNIX System V Network Programming, Pearson, page 89",
"text": "[...] we reserve file descriptors 0, 1, and 2 by opening /dev/null and duplicating the file descriptor returned. /dev/null is a pseudo-driver that forces read to return 0 and write to return as if the entire amount requested had been written. This makes library routines that use file descriptors 0, 1, and 2 harmless.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2005, Eric Foster-Johnson with John C. Welch and Micah Anderson, Beginning Shell Scripting, John Wiley & Sons, page 263",
"text": "Continuing in the Unix tradition of treating everything as a file, you can redirect a command's output to the null file, /dev/null. The null file consumes all output sent to it, as if /dev/null is a black hole star.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A device file, present in Unix and Unix-like operating systems, that discards all data written to it and yields no output."
],
"links": [
[
"computing",
"computing#Noun"
],
[
"device",
"device"
],
[
"file",
"file"
],
[
"Unix",
"Unix"
],
[
"Unix-like",
"Unix-like"
],
[
"operating system",
"operating system"
],
[
"discard",
"discard"
],
[
"data",
"data"
],
[
"written",
"write"
],
[
"yield",
"yield"
],
[
"output",
"output"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(computing) A device file, present in Unix and Unix-like operating systems, that discards all data written to it and yields no output."
],
"topics": [
"computing",
"engineering",
"mathematics",
"natural-sciences",
"physical-sciences",
"sciences"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English internet slang"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1992 September 17, Douglas Meier <dmeier@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>, “Welfare Reform Idea”, in talk.politics.misc (Usenet), message-ID <1992Sep17.064757.551@news.acns.nwu.edu>",
"text": "Thoughtful discussion and criticism is welcomed, but please send all flames to dev null.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1993 December 18, Carmien Stefan <carmien@alumni.cs.Colorado.EDU>, “RLP hosed”, in alt.unix.wizards (Usenet), message-ID <CI7Gt6.DAo@Colorado.EDU>",
"text": "suddenly the RLP calls form atlanta apparently go to dev null.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2004 January 17, Ronald D. Edge <InactiveX666@hotmail.com>, “PayPal pyramid scam”, in news.admin.net-abuse.email (Usenet), message-ID <SDaOb.873$Ly6.642264@newshog.newsread.com>",
"text": "The email will explicitly state that you cannot reply to the email, it will go to dev null.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Nowhere; often suggests an intent to ignore specific correspondence."
],
"links": [
[
"Internet",
"Internet"
],
[
"slang",
"slang"
],
[
"Nowhere",
"nowhere"
],
[
"suggest",
"suggest"
],
[
"intent",
"intent"
],
[
"ignore",
"ignore"
],
[
"correspondence",
"correspondence"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(Internet slang, figuratively) Nowhere; often suggests an intent to ignore specific correspondence."
],
"tags": [
"Internet",
"figuratively"
]
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "dev null"
},
{
"word": "dev-null"
},
{
"word": "devnull"
}
],
"word": "/dev/null"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
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