captcha

noun

capt·cha | \ ˈkap-chə

variants: or CAPTCHA

Definition of captcha

: a test to prevent spamming software from accessing a website by requiring visitors to the site to solve a simple puzzle (typically by reading and transcribing a series of numbers or letters from a distorted image) in order to gain access The point of the CAPTCHA is that reading those swirly letters is something that computers aren't very good at. If you can read them, you're probably not a piece of software run by a spammer.— Lev Grossman

Examples of captcha in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The latest versions of Apple’s operating systems, as demonstrated at WWDC, will bypass captcha devices. — Ewan Spence, Forbes, 24 June 2022 That's why web captcha command could be seen more online – it's being used as a bot blocker. — CBS News, 30 Nov. 2021 However, the outlet noted that the site now displays a captcha, which is most likely an attempt to stop automated submissions. — Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE.com, 3 Sep. 2021 People can receive Nano tokens simply by solving a captcha on a Web page, letting people with low-end computers take part. — Chris Morris, Fortune, 13 May 2021 No longer will a captcha code be required after that step in the process broke down. — Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2021 Somehow, the most jarring thing about the 2020 AMG GLC 63 S Performance Coupe isn’t the fact that Mercedes-Benz gave that captcha-sounding name to a four-door SUV. — Alex Davies, Wired, 12 Feb. 2020 Use a captcha, a program that protects websites against bots. — Melissa Simone, STAT, 21 Nov. 2019 You will be prompted to enter a captcha in order for your vote to go through. — Brenda Cain And Yadi Rodriguez - Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, 3 Sep. 2019 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'captcha.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.