Home UK English diff

Meaning of diff in English:

diff

Pronunciation /dɪf/

noun

  • 1Computing
    A program that compares files in order to determine how or whether they differ.

    ‘the drawback to this is that the diff does not indicate metadata changes’
    • ‘given two files, the diff program generates a listing that highlights the differences between them’

  • 2A set of gears allowing a motor vehicle's driven wheels to revolve at different speeds when going around corners; a differential gear.

  • 3 informal A difference.

    • ‘what is the diff between monkeys and apes?’

verb

[with object]Computing

  • Compare (files) in order to determine how or whether they differ.

    • ‘you should be able to diff the two files, thereby speeding up this step considerably’