Dictionary.com

CAPTCHA

or cap·tcha

[ kap-chuh ]
/ ˈkæp tʃə /
Save This Word!

noun Digital Technology.
an online test designed so that humans but not computers are able to pass it, used as a security measure and usually involving a visual-perception task: Site visitors must solve the “distorted text” CAPTCHA before posting comments.
a computer program that generates such tests.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of CAPTCHA

2000–05; C(ompletely) A(utomated) P(ublic) T(uring) (Test to Tell) C(omputers and) H(umans) A(part)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use CAPTCHA in a sentence

  • Called "captcha," it's essentially a test that's easy for a human to complete, but difficult or impossible for a computer to do.

    The ESPN Porn Scam|Douglas Rushkoff|July 22, 2009|DAILY BEAST
FEEDBACK