hash value

[ hash val-yoo ]

noun

, Computers.

1. (in an algorithmic process) a single integer representing data or information either transmitted or stored, the simplification of which facilitates comparison to integers representative of other information or data sets, also simplified in this way.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hash value¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Defense Department servers using a “hash value” portion of a password needed to access thousands of classified documents.

From Washington Times

The government alleges that Manning gave "a portion" of a password "to crack" which "was stored as a 'hash value' in a computer file that was accessible only by users with administrative-level privileges".

From BBC

Minutes later, she sent him the hash value, “80c11049faebf441d524fb3c4cd5351c,” but indicated that she was unsure what it was precisely for.

From The New Yorker

Amid some casual banter, Manning mentioned a hash value, an alphanumeric representation that can be used to derive a password, and asked Assange if he could break one.

From The New Yorker

Manning gave Assange a hash value for the password in question, and Assange later reported back that he had had “no luck so far” trying to figure out the password from the hash value.

From Slate