Linux

[ lin-uhksor, especially British, lin-ooks ]

Computers, Trademark.

1. an operating system, based on UNIX, that runs on many different hardware platforms and whose source code is available to the public.

linux

/ ˈlaɪnʌks /

noun

1. a nonproprietary computer operating system suitable for use on personal computers

Word History and Origins

Origin of Linux¹

First recorded in 1990–95; named after Linu(s) Benedict Torvalds (born 1969), Finnish software engineer + x as in UNIX ( def )

Example Sentences

Some Macintosh and Linux users, who were immune to the CrowdStrike-induced upheaval, devoted a portion of their morning Friday to spiking the football on Windows, even though the problem wasn’t caused by Microsoft.

From Los Angeles Times

Mac and Linux operating system customers were not affected, the company claimed.

From Salon

Some of the most famous software systems are open source, such as Linux, the operating system that Google’s Android mobile system was built on top of.

From New York Times

More recently, Linux popularized open-source coding, letting programmers leverage one another’s work rather than writing everything from scratch.

From Seattle Times

Recently, while doing some routine maintenance, Mr. Freund inadvertently found a backdoor hidden in a piece of software that is part of the Linux operating system.

From New York Times