Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Computer Science The programs, routines, and symbolic languages that control the functioning of the hardware and direct its operation.
Wiktionary
- n. computing Encoded computer instructions, usually modifiable (unless stored in some form of unalterable memory such as ROM). Compare hardware.
WordNet 3.0
- n. (computer science) written programs or procedures or rules and associated documentation pertaining to the operation of a computer system and that are stored in read/write memory
Etymologies
- From soft + -ware, by contrast with hardware ("the computer itself"). Coined 1953 by Paul Niquette; first used in print by John Tukey 1958. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“CNC Software, Inc. is proud to introduce Mastercam® for SolidWorks®, which combines the world's leading modeling software with the world's most widely-used CAM software*.”
“Commercial software development: the * software* is the product.”
“NICKJ AirRadar is an excellent piece of software, and it deserves a review that reflects your opinion of it * as a piece of software*.”
“Working in software is often one of the most thankless tasks (.. and I don't work in games).”
“Given the fact that (a) that Indian legislators have clearly chosen to exclude software from the list of patentable inventions (b) that open source software is important to India's long-term strategic interests, and (c) there is a growing global outcry against software patents, we hereby request you to ensure that the Draft Patent Manual reflects the will and intent of the Indian Parliament.”
“The term software, on the other hand, is ambiguous.”
“The term software engineering was used occasionally in the late 1950s and early 1960s, though some argue that software engineering was coined by F.L. Bauer.”
“At home, I realized that the latest version of the label software doesn't replace characters when exporting, at least not for thirty days.”
“In other news, I've rolled the label software out to 18 out of 19 branches now. 4 of those branches are in full production, another 6 or 7 at least are partially in production.”
“Afterwards, Neil was mobbed, and he said one more interesting thing that I can't help but repeat: that he doesn't like the term software architect because it pre-supposes a rigidity in software when what is so wonderful about it is that it is very plastic, something people write for ourselves and can change how we like …”
Redfin Corporate Blog: Notes on Redfin, technology, real estate and life at a startup.
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘software’.
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WF - nominal compounds (concrete)
foodstuff, banknote, crankshaft, earphone, fibreboard, fishplate, forklift, glassware, guardrail, handicraft, headband, kitchenware and 181 more...
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Headlines & Newsmakers
frugality, environment, extinction, bible, killer, jazz, cloning, dead, god, moon, global warming, bailout and 340 more...
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• Knuckle tattoos
Our personal suggestions for those who feel the need for knuckle tattoos. For "4+4", see also frogapplause's Candy Hearts.
venomous, unworthy, tucotuco, vrooming, mispelin, i ♥ mozart, tiramisù, fartlets, pindaric, pecorino, the f word, 3.141592 and 104 more...
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MANY A WORD!
This is just a list, right, that I'm gonna, like, fill with words, that, like, are every word that I can, like, think of with, ahhmm, my brain.
and, able, art, ass, algebra, amp, ankle, booze, bong, aura, bling, bright and 134 more...
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TECH - web application frameworks
object-oriented p..., ALGOL, validation, Erlang, markup language, Python, hibernate, framework, Apache, template, mapper, Java and 310 more...
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EU Buzz - single words (1+2+3)
1. Strictly EU terms with special European meaning used only in the EU
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2. Keywords central to the understanding of the EU (people working for the EU are usually able to give thematic...acceleration, action, additionality, administrator, agenda, agricultural, agri-environmental, agriflation, agri-food, applicant, approach, assent and 1325 more...
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warez
Computer-related words ending with -ware
software, hardware, wetware, vapourware, shovelware, freeware, adware, shareware, careware, charityware, helpware, goodware and 24 more...
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TECH - Steve Jobs
visionary, redefine, digital, founder, era, computer, cultural, product, global, gaunt, frail, executive and 76 more...
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bootload's Words
grouse, beaut, ripper, gassit, hack, hacking, twit, spon, goon, rosella, magpie, galah and 184 more...
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franky's Words
formitastic, human resources, cocktail, gravatar, tequila, twitter, moloko, gmail, beeb, mp3, cover art, thumbnail and 184 more...
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erich13's list
My Tag Cloud
addon, admire, adobeair, advice, alist, android, api, app, apple, augmentedreality, author, badge and 179 more...
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Basic English Vocabulary
Very basic words for ESL students.
a, abandon, ability, able, abortion, about, above, abroad, absence, absolute, absolutely, absorb and 4334 more...
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Technology
a list of words related to technology
hacker, internet, mputer, b, web, online, password, software, hardware, site, blog, newbie and 1 more...
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Mass Nouns
From wikipedia: "In English, mass nouns are characterized by the fact that they cannot be directly modified by a numeral without specifying a unit of measurement, and that they cannot combine with ...
advice, blood, cattle, equipment, furniture, grass, information, knowledge, mathematics, meat, money, music and 31 more...
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The literature of eschatology
In my beginning is my end.
The end is where we start from. (T.S. Eliot).
The end is the beginning is the end.
(Smashing Pumpkins).
Books whose titles begin ...nature, science, medicine, history, food, oil, shareholder value, finance, software, globalization, politics, laissez-faire and 23 more...
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Encyclopædia Lagomorphica
Wordies help Prolagus understand some English words and idioms.
homeland, apparent, cookie vs biscuit, nullipara, c-o vs care of vs..., rear, quite, advisor, prof., streetlamp, jank, garret and 18 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for software.
glen License, Licence or Licensed Mar 19, 2010
rolig I would say that the -ware words (silverware, hardware, earthenware) all tend to be collective nouns and take singular verbs. That doesn't mean, however, that someone cannot distinguish between different "softwares" (in the sense of different "kinds/species of software", not different individual programs) and be perfectly well understood. But this would be an anomalous usage. Nov 22, 2009
yarb Yes, you'd be unlikely to hear "there are various softwares available". Instead you'd talk about multiple "software packages" or "programs", or say "various kinds of software". Nov 22, 2009
PossibleUnderscore I thought 'software' was like 'sheep' or 'fish'. It meant both singular and plural.
What VO said.
:-) Nov 22, 2009
vanishedone I take it to be a mass noun: software is code, water is wet... Nov 22, 2009
uselessness Isn't software plural? I would never refer to "a software" but "some software" is fine. Or "a piece of software" or "a software program." Nov 22, 2009
Prolagus A question for you: If you are using software in the sense of "many programs", do you still need to use it as a singular? Nov 22, 2009