checksum

noun

check·​sum ˈchek-ˌsəm 

: a sum derived from the bits of a segment of computer data that is calculated before and after transmission or storage to assure that the data is free from errors or tampering

Examples of checksum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For example, one of his graduate students studied packet errors and discovered that checksums, which are used to detect corruption in the header of IPv4 packets, are bad at detecting certain kinds of errors that are likely to occur over asynchronous transfer mode. —IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2022

There’s no checksum, no sender verification, no nothing. —Neil J. Rubenking, PCMAG, 11 Aug. 2022

This puzzle was brilliantly answered by Ben, using a sophisticated version of the checksum modulo-3 technique from Puzzle 3. —Quanta Magazine, 23 Mar. 2016

By tracking the MD5 checksum, which uniquely identifies the original source of a song, Hoffman said that Emusic would be able to track files that were being made available from one individual to other Napster users. —Brad King, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2000

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above