A Loop in Programming Repeats Until Told to Stop
A loop is a shape that curves back on itself. Computing borrowed the word for repeated instructions.
A loop is a shape produced by a line curving back to cross itself. Computing took the word because control returns to where it began: instructions run, then the path curves back and runs them again. An *infinite loop* is one whose exit condition is never met, which is among the commonest programming errors. *In the loop* means included in information, from communication circuits, and *loop the loop* named an early aerobatic manoeuvre.
- A curved shape. *A loop of rope.*
- A repeated sequence. *A program loop.*
- In the loop — informed. *Keep me in the loop.*
- Loophole — a gap. *A loophole.*
- Middle English — of uncertain origin. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | loop | A loop. |
| Plural | loops | Loops. |
| Verb | loop | Looping. |
| Compound | loophole | A loophole. |
| Adjective | loopy | Loopy. |
- Tie a loop in the rope.Shape.
- The loop runs ten times.Computing.
- Keep me in the loop.Idiom.
Where loophole comes from
- A loophole was a narrow slit in a castle wall
- Archers shot through it while staying protected
- It let something through a barrier that otherwise blocked everything
- The legal sense keeps exactly that image
- The first element is probably unrelated to the shape
Middle English, of uncertain origin, possibly from Old Norse *hlaup*, a leap.
Why is repeated code called a loop?
Because control returns to where it began, tracing a path that curves back on itself before running again.
What was a loophole originally?
A narrow slit in a castle wall through which archers could shoot while remaining protected.