address

1. The precise location in memory or on disk where a piece of information is stored. Each byte in memory and each sector on a disk has its own unique address.
2. The unique identifier for a specific node on a network. An address may be a physical address specified by switches or jumpers on the network interface card hardware, or it can be a logical address established by the network operating system.
3. To reference or manage a storage location.
4. In Unix, an IP address as specified in the /etc/hosts file.
5. Information used by a network or the Internet to specify a specific location in the form username@hostname; username is your user name, logon name, or account name or number, and hostname is the name of the Internet Service Provider (ISP) or computer system you use. The hostname may consist of several parts, each separated from the next by a period.

See also address bus; Domain Name Service; e-mail address; Internet Service Provider; IP address; memory address.