verb
compile
to translate source code into executable or lower-level code
This command compiles the source code into an executable program.
Etymology
The older verb developed a collecting sense. Early compilers gathered program components, and the term broadened to the translation that produces lower-level code from a source program.
More examples
- We compile the program before running it.
- The tool compiled the Java source into bytecode.
- Compiling this large project takes several minutes.
Forms
compile · compiles · compiled · compiling
compiler noun — software that translates source code
compilation noun — translation of source code into lower-level code