*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of proc

Abbreviation of procedure. The folk etymology from programmed random occurrence is a backronym.

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 ↗
verb

To cause a proc to occur.

noun

A procedure. · A special and possibly random event, typically activated by clicking on an object.

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

Abbreviation of procedure. The folk etymology from programmed random occurrence is a backronym.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "abbreviation of",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "procedure"
      },
      "expansion": "Abbreviation of procedure"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "procedure",
      "procedure#English"
    ],
    [
      "programmed random occurrence",
      "programmed random occurrence#English"
    ],
    [
      "backronym",
      "backronym"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To cause a proc to occur."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "d258ecfc57ec3a7743d4dae03b6d819623a3173f63ec288dd51aeb28ddbce14c",
      "rawRecordSha256": "4c3ba3dd506b0e3d5d7955167b99c1f2b1086341eca4abd79fe95acf8fadbe57",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 364374
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A procedure.",
        "A special and possibly random event, typically activated by clicking on an object."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "d288f50e1f4f8b75053def93183080b70f9c98c4980d5c429e9b0be465993dd9",
      "rawRecordSha256": "8beaaddcfdca8053bac95edc72a8bb7a1a092d7b5e83bac864565c1c5925d156",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 364373
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A processor.

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

Abbreviation of processor.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "abbreviation of",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "processor"
      },
      "expansion": "Abbreviation of processor"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "processor",
      "processor#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A processor."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "12dfd756abb94f56c54ef3edda2d92b56ab98c4810f503085c1dd9a0fe80d5a5",
      "rawRecordSha256": "69d382b0a15eda5995d438aeaba24010bf78975d69e19b39657a4aee331070b4",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 364375
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

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 proc →

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-cHJvYw