CAPTCHA
or cap·tcha
[ kap-chuh ]
/ ˈkæp tʃə /
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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)
Words nearby CAPTCHA
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.