Any file to which data is spooled to
await the next stage of processing. Especially used in
circumstances where spooling the data copes with a mismatch between
speeds in two devices or pieces of software. For example, when you
send mail under Unix, it's typically copied to a spool file to
await a transport demon's attentions. This is borderline
techspeak.
magic number n.
[Unix/C; common] 1. In source code
some non-obvious constant whose value is significant to the
operation of a program and that is inserted inconspicuously in-line
(hardcoded), rather than expanded in by a symbol set by a
commented #define....