Ask Molly
“I've used the term PING a lot, but recently when asked what it means by my son I wasn’t able to give a great answer. What is the correct definition for PING?”
Suzanne D. - Orlando, FL
Hi Suzanne,
PING is actually an acronym, and is short for Packet Internet Groper. It is a utility that forwards data packets to a designated target that solicit an acknowledgment, and is typically used to validate the quality of a link, confirm outbound connectivity, or verify the presence of the target host.
In terms of part of speech, PING is technically a noun, but as with so many other words, its growing use as a verb is impossible to stop.
Hope this helps!
-Molly