Meanings
K&R1
proper noun
- The book The C Programming Language (1978), which described the first edition of the C language.
K&R2
nounK&R (plural not attested)
- abbreviationinitialismno pluralInitialism of kidnap and ransom.
The group operating where we were was called the "Abu Sayyaf" and specialised in K&R (kidnap and ransom), usually of tourists who would finish up beheaded on TV.
2005, Paul Carter, Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs, Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin, page 94
Origin
From the surnames of the book's authors, Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
K&R. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/K%26R
MLA
“K&R.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/K%26R. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “K&R,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/K%26R.
Source: K&R on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.