What does os mean?
The noun OS has two established uses. In computing, it is an abbreviation for "operating system," the fundamental software that controls a computer's hardware and coordinates applications, files, memory, and peripherals. It appears commonly in phrases such as "computer operating system," "mobile operating system," and "operating system update," and the plural is usually written "OSes." In anatomy, os is a technical term for a bone and is used particularly as the first element of compound names, such as os coxae, the hip bone. The computing abbreviation is an English clipping of "operating system," while the anatomical word comes from Latin os, meaning "bone." OS is therefore a useful example of how the same written form can represent both a familiar technical abbreviation and a highly specialized term from anatomical Latin.
An abbreviation for "operating system," a system of software that manages a computer's hardware and provides a platform for applications.
"The software is available for the major desktop and mobile operating systems."
Usually written "OS" or "os"; the plural is commonly "OSes."
In anatomical terminology, a bone or bony structure.
"The os coxae is the large bone of the hip."
This use is technical and is most common in compound anatomical terms.
For a computer operating system, the usual plural is "OSes." In anatomical Latin-derived usage, "ossa" is used for multiple bones, though such terms are normally encountered as parts of fixed compound expressions.
"The site supports several operating systems, including mobile and desktop OSes."
The tiny word OS anchors an entire operating system: without it, the hardware and applications that make a computer useful would have no central manager.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does os come from?
The computing abbreviation comes from the English phrase "operating system," with the initials of the two words retained. The anatomical term derives from Latin os, genitive ossis, meaning "bone," a form preserved in medical and anatomical vocabulary. English also borrowed related forms such as osseous and ossuary, while ossification is the process of forming bone.
Related word forms
How os is actually used
In computing, "OS" is normally written as an initialism and may be capitalized. In anatomy, "os" is usually lowercase and appears chiefly in technical compound terms.
Easily confused with os
An OS is a computer operating system, whereas an oz is a unit of mass equal to one twenty-fourth of a pound.