unix

U1N1I1X8
/ˈjuː.nɪks/

proper noun

An operating system that shares the original source code by Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson.

“GNU is not Unix.”

Similar
UNIX systemUNIX operating system
OriginEnglish eunuchinflu. ← Middle English servise ← Old English serfis →
CommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

unix1

noununix (plural unixes or unices)

plural unixes · plural unices

  1. alternativecomputingAlternative form of Unix.

Unix2

proper noun

alternative UNIX · alternative unix

  1. computingAn operating system that shares the original source code by Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson.
  2. computingAn operating system largely compatible with Unix that qualifies for use of the UNIX trademark, currently owned by The Open Group.
nounUnix (plural Unixes or Unices or Unixen)

plural Unixes · plural Unices · plural Unixen · alternative UNIX · alternative unix

  1. informalcomputingAny of the above plus Unix-like operating systems similar to Unix but not qualifying for use of the UNIX trademark.

    GNU is not Unix.

    1 more example

    The Linux kernel operating system is one of the most popular Unixes.

UNIX3

proper noun
  1. computingAlternative letter-case form of Unix.

    The successful candidate will have a BS in Computer Science (MS preferred) and 4–7 years experience with the UNIX development environment using high level tools which UNIX provides.

    1982 March 14, Rockwell International, “Software Support Specialist”, in Chicago Tribune, final edition, 135th year, number 73, Chicago, Ill., →ISSN, →OCLC, section 15, page 10, column 4

Synonyms & antonyms

nountrademark for a powerful operating system

Similar
UNIX systemUNIX operating system
Broader
operating systemOS

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mel-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ml̥tós?
  3. Proto-Italic*moltos
  4. Latinmulti-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*pel-der.?
  6. Latinmultiplex
  7. Englishmultiplexed
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  9. Proto-Italic*en
  10. Proto-Italic*en-
  11. Latinin-
  12. Ancient Greekμορφή (morphḗ)der.?
  13. Latinfōrma
  14. Latinfōrmō
  15. Latinīnfōrmō
  16. Late Latinīnfōrmātiō
  17. Middle Englishenformacioun
  18. Englishinformation
  19. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  20. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  21. Proto-Italic*kom
  22. Proto-Italic*kom-
  23. Latincon-
  24. Latinputus
  25. Latinputō
  26. Latincomputō
  27. Latincomputāre
  28. Frenchcomputer
  29. Englishcomputing
  30. Proto-Indo-European*ser-der.?
  31. Proto-Italic*serwos
  32. Latinservus
  33. Latinservitium
  34. Old Frenchservise
  35. Old Englishserfis
  36. Middle Englishservise
  37. Englishservice
  38. EnglishMultiplexed Information and Computing Service
  39. EnglishMultics
  40. Englisheunuchinflu.
  41. EnglishUnix

A pun on Multics to sound like eunuchs, as Unix was considered to be an emasculated Multics (see multi- and uni-). Likely coined by Canadian computer scientist Brian Kernighan in 1970.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic يُونِكْس
  • يُونِكْس (yūniks)operating system
Bulgarian Ю́никс
  • Ю́никс (Júniks)operating system
Chinese Mandarin 尤內克斯 /尤内克斯, Unix
  • 尤內克斯 /尤内克斯 (yòunèikèsī)operating system
  • Unixoperating system
Dutch Unix
  • Unixoperating system
Esperanto Unikso
  • Uniksooperating system
Finnish Unix
  • Unixoperating system
French Unix
  • Unixoperating system
German Unix
  • Unixoperating system
Hebrew יוניקס
  • יוניקסoperating system
Hindi युनिक्स
  • युनिक्स (yuniks)operating system
Japanese Unix, ユニックス
  • Unixoperating system
  • ユニックス (Yunikkusu)operating system
Korean 유닉스
  • 유닉스 (Yunikseu)operating system
Persian یونیکس
  • یونیکس (yuniks)operating system
Polish Unix
  • Unixoperating system
Portuguese Unix
  • Unixoperating system
Russian Ю́никс
  • Ю́никс (Júniks)operating system
Spanish Unix
  • Unixoperating system
Thai ยูนิกซ์
  • ยูนิกซ์ (yuniks)operating system
Turkish Unix
  • Unix (yuniks)operating system
Ukrainian Ю́нікс
  • Ю́нікс (Júniks)operating system
Urdu یونکس
  • یونکس (yūniks)operating system
Yiddish יוניקס
  • יוניקס (yuniks)operating system

Rhymes & wordplay

Sounds the same

eunuchseunuchs

Anagrams

Uxin
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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