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Algol

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Algol¹

Where it comes from

From Arabic الْغُول (al-ḡūl, “the ghoul”).

proper noun

  1. An eclipsing binary star in the constellation of Perseus; Beta (β) Persei. It represents the eye of Medusa, whose head is being held by Perseus.

Algol²

proper noun

  1. Alternative letter-case form of ALGOL He was the defiant homesteader, the crusty senior member of a research team who understood Algol and Fortran but couldn't read the secrets of his own heart.

ALGOL³

  • /ˈælɡɒl/
  • /-ɡɔːl/

Where it comes from

Devised as an acronym of algorithmic language.

proper noun Algol

  1. An influential early high-level programming language designed for solving mathematical and scientific problems. Later, ALGOL was used as the basis of JOVIAL, MAD, NELIAC, and ALGO. In 1960, a division occurred based on unresolved disagreements and ALGOL 60 was born.

    Similar: IAL

  2. A family of programming languages derived from ALGOL 58.

Translations

Every language

name star

中文大陵五 Dàlíngwǔ
हिन्दीमायावती māyāvtī, मायावती तारा māyāvtī tārā
PortuguêsAlgol
FrançaisAlgol
DeutschAlgol
RomânăAlgol
РусскийАлго́ль Algólʹ
العربيةرَأْس الْغُول raʔs al-ḡūl

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Cite this
MLA

"Algol." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/algol. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

Algol. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/algol

Chicago

"Algol." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/algol.

BibTeX
@misc{algol_2026,
  title = {Algol},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/algol},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}