English word origin

Etymology of exe

Clipping of executable.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A Windows executable file.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of executable.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "executable"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of executable"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "executable",
      "executable#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A Windows executable file."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "c0891fb8ae5519cef5bbbde91522572a4297edf9438c4712ab8fea5f6db551ef",
      "rawRecordSha256": "1a310e1ba710709afc3536182dbe25c99c8f8c38afeb23d1d68746ee6ff98156",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1675677
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Clipping of executioner.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of executioner.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "executioner"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of executioner"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "executioner",
      "executioner#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Clipping of executioner."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "clipping",
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "b615d76aae8b7e36d1beaa4ab38a0935b8cce56b82af6d7b20c380082ab65fe4",
      "rawRecordSha256": "225093aa47d39cc087a28ac58a38473839214a0642c494b550824778b10131a8",
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  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for exe →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-ZXhl