nuke

/n[y]ook/ 1. To intentionally delete the entire contents of a

given directory or storage volume. "On Unix, "rm -r /usr"

will nuke everything in the usr file system." Never used for

accidental deletion. Opposite: blow away.

2. Synonym for dike, applied to smaller things such as

files, features, or code sections. Often used to express a

final verdict. "What do you want me to do with that 80-meg

wallpaper file?" "Nuke it."

3. Used of processes as well as files; nuke is a frequent

verbal alias for "kill -9" on Unix.

4. On IBM PCs, a bug that results in fandango on core can

trash the operating system, including the FAT (the in-core

copy of the disk block chaining information). This can

utterly scramble attached disks, which are then said to have

been "nuked". This term is also used of analogous lossages on

Macintoshes and other micros without memory protection.

[Jargon File]