nroff

N1R1O1F4F4
UK/ˈɛnɹɒf/

verb

To format (text) using the nroff program, which produces output suitable for simple fixed-width printers and terminal windows.

UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

verbnroff (third-person singular simple present nroffs, present participle nroffing, simple past and past participle nroffed)

present singular third person nroffs · participle present nroffing · participle past nroffed · past nroffed

  1. transitivecomputingTo format (text) using the nroff program, which produces output suitable for simple fixed-width printers and terminal windows.

    You could contrive macro sets that nroffed a document onto a printer […]

    1991, Computer Language, volume 8, page 18
    1 more example

    The user either selects a new filename, edits the default file, nroffs it to the screen, or to a printer, or logs out.

    1985, Eric Foxley, UNIX for super-users, page 158

Origin

Name of the program, short for new roff; an earlier similar program was called roff, a shortening of runoff.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

nroff. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nroff

MLA

“nroff.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nroff. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nroff,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nroff.

Source: nroff on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.