n. 3. Computers A program or process that runs in the background but remains inactive until invoked. [Sense 3, after MAXWELL'S DEMON (from the creature's constant monitoring of gas molecules going in and out of an aperture ).] dae·monic (-mŏnĭk) adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.