Etymology

cron

C3R1O1N1

Today it means: A scheduler or timer that automatically starts a job, program, task. Full definition →

Ancient Greek χρόνος
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cron · noun1

  1. Ancient Greek · derived fromχρόνος“time”
  2. English todaycron

From chrono-, from Ancient Greek χρόνος (khrónos, “time”). Originating as the name of a specific program, but since generalized to analogous ones.

Cron · proper noun2

  1. Proto-Brythonic · derived from*krunn
  2. fro-pic · derived fromcron“bent, curved”
  3. Scottish Gaelic · derived fromMac Cróin“son of the swarthy one”
  4. English todayCron

* As a Scottish surname, variant of Crone, itself shortened from McCrone, from Scottish Gaelic Mac Cróin (“son of the swarthy one”), from crón (“swarthy”). * As a German, Jewish, and Swedish surname, Americanized/variant of Kron. * As a French surname, from the regional word crone (“water hole”). * Also as a French surname, from Picard Old French cron (“bent, curved”), itself probably a Germanic borrowing akin to Proto-Germanic *krumpaz or a similar variant. * As a Breton surname, from kronn (“round, rounded”), from Proto-Brythonic *krunn.

Words from the same roots

Ancient Greekχρόνος all →

chronologycrontabchronoschronometerisochronouscronjobchronaxiechronemechrono-chronoclasmchronogramchronomentrophobiachronometricchronometricschronometrychronophobiachronosome-chronouscrono-parachronic

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.