CAPTCHA

or cap·tcha

[ kap-chuh ]

nounDigital Technology.
  1. 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.

  2. a computer program that generates such tests.

Origin of CAPTCHA

1
First recorded in 2000–05; C(ompletely) A(utomated) P(ublic) T(uring) (Test to Tell) C(omputers and) H(umans) A(part); inspired by capture

Words Nearby CAPTCHA

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

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 | THE DAILY BEAST