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Time-Out

Webopedia Staff
Last Updated May 24, 2021 7:57 am

An interrupt signal generated by a program or device that has waited a certain length of time for some input but has not received it. Many programs perform time-outs so that the program does not sit idle waiting for input that may never come. For example, automatic bank-teller machines perform a time-out if you do not enter your password quickly enough.

Also spelled timeout.