app

UK/æp/US/æp/

nounA2+Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #13,179 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: apps

An app is a small program on your phone with its own little square icon. Tap it, and it opens.

The word is short for application, and it existed for years before phones made it universal. What changed was the app store, which turned software into something you download in a second. English now uses it for anything installed, from a bank to a game to a torch. There is also a web app, which runs in a browser with nothing to install at all.

Definitions of app

1nounappA program, especially one on a phone or tablet.A2+
“There is an app for booking the tickets.”

Also accepted in games: application

Where it comes from

Clipping of application.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Technology & Internet, A Man Called Ove

First appears in chapter 24 of A Man Called Ove.

Practise this word

app in the wild

MSN is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps provided by Microsoft.
MSN
No software installation is required as the app runs within the browser which reduces the need for managing software installations.
Web application
Since its purchase by Google, YouTube has expanded beyond the core website, creating mobile apps, network television, games, and the ability to link with other platforms.
YouTube
As of December 2023, Apple's App Store contains more than 3.8 million iOS mobile apps. iOS is based on macOS.
IOS
The App Store is an app marketplace developed and maintained by Apple, for mobile apps and desktop apps on its iOS, macOS and iPadOS operating systems.
App Store (Apple)

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

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app