What's a piece of tech jargon that gets used constantly but most people including you can't actually define precisely

[Quiet Depot]

The cloud specifically, most people including me use the term daily without a precise mental model of what it actually means beyond someone else's computer somewhere

[HollowSentinel]

Bandwidth, thrown around constantly in casual conversation and most people including myself use it loosely without knowing the actual technical measurement behind it

[Terminator]

Algorithm, used to explain literally any automated decision now, most people including me couldn't actually define what makes something an algorithm versus just a rule

[Taker92]

API, thrown around in tech conversations constantly and I've had to look up a proper definition more than once despite using the term regularly myself

[Fam]

Bit rate specifically, used constantly in discussions about video and audio quality and I couldn't explain the actual technical difference between two specific numbers if asked directly

[RestlessCheetah]

Encryption, I use the term confidently and couldn't actually explain the mathematical process behind it beyond a very surface level description

[Wizard72]

Firewall, everyone knows it's protective but I couldn't precisely explain the actual mechanism beyond a vague barrier concept if pressed on it directly