Usenet

American  

[yooz-net, yoos‑] / ˈyuzˌnɛt, ˈyus‑ /

Or USENET

noun

1. Digital Technology. an extensive system of newsgroups: a branch of the internet.

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Usenet British  

/ ˈjuːzˌnɛt /

noun

1. computing a vast collection of newsgroups that follow agreed naming, maintaining, and distribution practices

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Etymology

Origin of Usenet

First recorded in 1980–85; use(rs) ¹ ( def. ) + net(work)

Example Sentences

From Usenet and torrent trackers to the vibrant demo scene, I began to study.

From The Verge • Aug. 11, 2022

That sharply limited the range of subjects people felt able to talk about on services like Usenet.

From New York Times • Jul. 31, 2021

Rose recalls hearing the debate as far back as 1999, in groups on Usenet, an internet discussion system.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 15, 2021

Fan fiction has also had a long history on the internet, beginning largely with Usenet groups like alt.startrek.creative.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2019

The notation is mildly confusing to C programmers, because `^' means bitwise exclusive-or in C. Despite this, it was favored 3:1 over ** in a late-1990 snapshot of Usenet.

From The Jargon File, Version 4.0.0, 24 Jul 1996 by Raymond, Eric S.