Meanings
nounopcode (plural opcodes)
plural opcodes
- computingA mnemonic used to refer to a microprocessor instruction in assembly language.
In the tradition of other low-level languages, many CIL opcodes tend to be cryptic and completely unpronounceable by us mere humans.
2010, Andrew Troelsen, Pro C# 2010 and the .NET 4 Platform, page 6551 more example
When the microprocessor decodes the JSR opcode, it stores the operand into the TEMP register and pushes the current contents of the PC ($00 0128) onto the stack.
1992, Michael A. Miller, The 68000 Microprocessor Family: Architecture, Programming, and Applications, page 47
Origin
From op + code (in sense of operation).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
opcode. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opcode
MLA
“opcode.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opcode. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “opcode,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opcode.
Source: opcode on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.