| packet switching | |
| —n | |
| computing the concentration of data into units that are allocated an address prior to transmission | |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| Main Entry: | packet-switching |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | a method of data transfer in which the information is sent in small bundles or 'packets' and then reassembled at the destination to form the original message |
| packet switching (pāk'ĭt) Pronunciation Key
A method of network data transmission, in which small blocks of data, or packets, are transmitted over a channel which, for the duration of the packet's transmission, is dedicated to that packet alone and is not interrupted to transmit other packets. This strategy is used in transmitting data over the Internet and often over a LAN, and it capitalizes on the increase in efficiency that is obtained when there are many paths available and there is a large volume of traffic over these paths. |