app

¹ American  

[ap] / æp /

noun

1. Digital Technology. a software application, often a small, specialized program for mobile devices.

   You’ll find numerous free photo editing apps in the app store on your smartphone.

   The word processing app that comes with the laptop isn’t adequate for our publishing needs.

2. an application; a form to be filled out by an applicant.

   I'm working on my college apps.

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app ² American  

[ap] / æp /

noun

1. Informal. an appetizer served before a meal.

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app. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. apparatus.

2. apparent.

3. appendix.

4. applied.

5. appointed.

6. approved.

7. approximate.

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app British  

/ æp /

noun

1. informal computing short for application program

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Etymology

Origin of app¹

First recorded in 1985–90; shortening of application ( def. )

Origin of app¹

By shortening

Example Sentences

Taiwanese military investigators, law-enforcement authorities and prosecutors interviewed for this article described a trend in China’s effort: the increasing use of messaging apps and online loan offers to target low-ranking members of Taiwan’s armed forces.

From The Wall Street Journal

Apple also tried to tackle this problem in 2018 with the addition of health records in the Health app.

From MarketWatch

Split tunneling lets you choose which of your apps use the VPN and which don’t.

From Salon

For now, Russell is working on a web app for smaller U.S.-based influencers with at least 5,000 followers to upload items in their closets and directly ship them to customers.

From Los Angeles Times

With a tiny team, a day job and the occasional teaching gig, Wicks has found that maintaining the app to the degree in which it can be properly released has not been feasible.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• program
• software