Hash

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Hash

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun and verb

Pronunciation

hash  /hæʃ/

Definition

As a noun: a dish of cooked meat cut into small pieces and recooked with potatoes; the symbol # (number sign or octothorpe); informal for hashish; in computing, a function that converts data into a fixed-length string for storage or verification. As a verb: to cut into small pieces; to muddle or make a mess of (make a hash of); in computing, to apply a hash function to data.

Plain meaning

Hash is a jumbled mixture or mess — from the dish of chopped meat. The # symbol is called a hash in British English. In computing, a hash function converts data into a unique fixed-length string for verification or lookup. To make a hash of something is to bungle it.

Register

Informal in the jumble-and-muddle sense. Technical in computing. The # symbol is called hash in British English (octothorpe in formal American usage). Hash brown is the familiar culinary compound.