Browser Technology Glossary
This glossary provides definitions for key terms related to web browsers, rendering engines, and associated technologies discussed throughout this site. Understanding these terms is helpful for anyone interested in the mechanics of the web and its history.
- API (Application Programming Interface)
- A set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other. Browsers expose various APIs for web developers to interact with browser features and device capabilities. For more on this, see The Role of APIs in Modern Software.
- Blink
- A browser rendering engine developed by Google as part of the Chromium project. It powers browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Opera. Covered in more detail on our Rendering Engines page.
- Browser Engine (Rendering Engine / Layout Engine)
- The core component of a web browser that takes web content (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images) and displays it on the user's screen. Examples include Blink, Gecko, and WebKit.
- Cache
- A temporary storage area where browsers save copies of frequently accessed web files (like images, scripts, and stylesheets) to speed up subsequent visits to the same pages.
- Cookie
- A small piece of data stored by a website on a user's computer through the web browser. Cookies are used to remember information about the user, such as login status, preferences, or shopping cart items.
- CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
- A stylesheet language used to describe the presentation (look and formatting) of a document written in HTML. CSS controls aspects like colors, fonts, layout, and responsiveness.
- DOM (Document Object Model)
- A programming interface for HTML and XML documents. It represents the page structure as a tree of objects, allowing scripts (like JavaScript) to dynamically read and modify the content, structure, and style of a document.
- Extension (Add-on)
- A small software program that adds new features or functionality to a web browser. Discussed further on our Modern Features page.
- Gecko
- A browser rendering engine developed by the Mozilla Foundation. It powers the Firefox browser and other Mozilla applications. Learn more on the Rendering Engines page.
- HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
- The standard markup language used to create web pages. It provides the basic structure and content of a webpage.
- HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
- The underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web for transmitting web pages and other resources between a web server and a web browser.
- HTTPS (HTTP Secure)
- The secure version of HTTP, which encrypts communication between the browser and the server, ensuring data confidentiality and integrity. A key aspect of Cybersecurity Essentials.
- JavaScript
- A high-level programming language that enables interactive and dynamic content on web pages. It runs in the user's browser (client-side) and can also be used on the server-side (e.g., Node.js).
- Rendering Engine
- See Browser Engine.
- Responsive Web Design (RWD)
- An approach to web design that makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen sizes. This became particularly important with the Rise of Mobile Browsing.
- Sandboxing
- A security mechanism that isolates running programs, often used in browsers to separate web page processes from each other and the underlying operating system to prevent malicious code from causing harm.
- Trident
- The rendering engine developed by Microsoft for the Internet Explorer browser. More info on the Rendering Engines page.
- W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
- The main international standards organization for the World Wide Web. It develops protocols and guidelines to ensure the long-term growth of the Web, as discussed in The Browser Wars and Web Standards.
- WebAssembly (Wasm)
- A binary instruction format for a stack-based virtual machine. Wasm is designed as a portable compilation target for high-level languages like C/C++/Rust, enabling deployment on the web for client and server applications. See more on our Future of Browsers page.
- WebKit
- An open-source browser engine primarily developed by Apple. It powers Safari and was the basis for Google's Blink engine. Details are on the Rendering Engines page.
This glossary covers some of the most common terms you'll encounter when learning about web browsers. The web is a constantly evolving space, and so is its terminology! Ready to go back? Return to the Homepage.
Back to Home