FORTRAN

[fawr-tran] /ˈfɔr træn/
noun, Computers.
1.
a high-level programming language used mainly for solving problems in science and engineering.
Origin
1955-60; for(mula) tran(slation)
Examples from the web for FORTRAN
  • Early versions of FORTRAN provided by other vendors suffered from the same disadvantage.
British Dictionary definitions for FORTRAN

FORTRAN

/ˈfɔːtræn/
noun
1.
a high-level computer programming language for mathematical and scientific purposes, designed to facilitate and speed up the solving of complex problems
Word Origin
C20: from for(mula) tran(slation)
Word Origin and History for FORTRAN

Fortran

n.

computer programming language, 1956, from combination of elements from formula + translation.

FORTRAN in Technology
language
(Formula Translation) The first and, for a long time, the most widely used programming language for numerical and scientific applications. The original versions lacked recursive procedures and block structure and had a line-oriented syntax in which certain columns had special significance.
There have been a great many versions.
The name is often written "FORTRAN", harking back to the days before computers were taught about lower case, but ANSI decreed, in about 1985 via the ANSI FORTRAN Technical Committee TC, that it should be "Fortran".
See also: Fortrash.
[Was Fortran I the first version?]
(2000-07-07)
Related Abbreviations for FORTRAN

FORTRAN

formula translator (programming language)
Encyclopedia Article for FORTRAN

computer-programming language created in 1957 by John Backus that shortened the process of programming and made computer programming more accessible.

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