THUNKS Meaning and
Definition
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Thunks are a term used primarily in computer programming and computer science, specifically in the field of functional programming. The word "thunk" is derived from a combination of "think" and "chunk", and it refers to a function or subroutine that is used to delay the evaluation or execution of a particular computation until it is expressly needed.
In functional programming languages, thunks are often used as a means of implementing lazy evaluation or call-by-need evaluation strategies. Essentially, instead of immediately computing or evaluating a given expression or computation, a thunk acts as a placeholder that encapsulates the expression until it is explicitly invoked.
Thunks are primarily used to improve efficiency and optimize resource usage. By deferring the evaluation of computations until they are actually needed, unnecessary computations can be avoided, leading to potential performance gains. This is especially relevant in cases where certain computations may not be necessary at all, reducing computational waste.
Furthermore, thunks are often employed as a mechanism for implementing memoization, which is a technique used to store previously computed results to avoid redundant computations. By delaying computations until they are specifically requested, thunks allow for caching and reusing results, thus improving overall program efficiency.
In summary, thunks are functional programming constructs or procedures that delay the evaluation of a computation until it is explicitly required. They are utilized to optimize efficiency, reduce redundant computations, and enable memoization techniques.
Common Misspellings for THUNKS
Etymology of THUNKS
The word "thunk" is an example of what is often called a "nonce word" or a "portmanteau word". It was coined by British author and illustrator A.A. Milne in his book "Winnie-the-Pooh", which was published in 1926. In the story, Eeyore the donkey describes a feeling of confusion as a "thumping sort of noise inside him". Milne combined the words "think" and "thump" to create the word "thunk", representing a muddled or perplexed thought. Over time, the word "thunk" has been adopted in informal usage to describe a heavy or dull-sounding impact or even to describe a thought process or idea that lacks clarity.
Similar spelling words for THUNKS
- thence,
- think,
- thank,
- things,
- thoms,
- thinness,
- thong,
- thunk,
- thunnus,
- thanks,
- thing.
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