hex

1. hexadecimal.

2. A 6-pack of anything (compare quad). Neither usage has

anything to do with magic or black art, though the pun is

appreciated and occasionally used by hackers. True story: As

a joke, some hackers once offered some surplus ICs for sale to

be worn as protective amulets against hostile magic. The

chips were, of course, hex inverters.

3. character The hash character, used to introduce

hexadecimal constants in some assembly languages.

[Jargon File]

(1995-03-06)