daemon

noun

dae·​mon

variant spelling of demon

1
a
: an evil spirit
angels and demons
b
: a source or agent of evil, harm, distress, or ruin
the demons of drug and alcohol addiction
confronting the demons of his childhood
2
usually daemon : an attendant (see attendant entry 2 sense 1) power or spirit : genius
3
usually daemon mythology : a supernatural being whose nature is intermediate between that of a god and that of a human being
4
: one that has exceptional enthusiasm, drive, or effectiveness
a demon for work
Doug, putting like a demon, had birdies on the third and sixth …Fred Tupper
5
daemon : a software program or process that runs in the background
A mailer daemon installed on an e-mail system can respond to a piece of incorrectly addressed e-mail by generating an automated message to the sender that the message was undeliverable.J. D. Biersdorfer

Examples of daemon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The computer daemon operates in a similar manner, continuously working behind the scenes to keep processes going and to address service requests. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2024 Yet in their original form gremlins are alive and well, living under new names—daemons, worms, virtual pets. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 23 Oct. 2024 During the handshake, BPP keeps track of the number of messages exchanged between the client (typically operated by a remote admin) and the SSH daemon (the server app that facilitates the connection on the network). Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 19 Dec. 2023 The daemon of the Father-President of the Magisterium (Will Keen, father of Dafne) is a lizard. John Anderson, WSJ, 22 Dec. 2022 And don't forget Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge will also voice the daemon of John Parry, played by Andrew Scott. Nick Romano, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2020 McAvoy's Asriel and his daemon were barely present in season 2, and even then didn't have any dialogue. Nick Romano, EW.com, 27 Sep. 2022 One of the most toxic couples on television at the moment is a woman and her monkey: Mrs. Coulter and her daemon in His Dark Materials. Nick Romano, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2022 The daemon is an extension of the individual. Nick Romano, EW.com, 15 Oct. 2020

Dictionary Entries Near daemon

Cite this Entry

“Daemon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daemon. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

daemon

variant of demon

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