Codename

A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Codenames are often used for military purposes, or in espionage, but are also used in business, for example as the names of confidential projects.

There is a common but not universal convention of writing codenames in upper case.

Famous codenames:

• Operation Barbarossa
• Operation OVERLORD
• MKULTRA
• TUBE ALLOYS

Code names are also commonplace in the computer world where products are informally given names during development. These names are usually only meant for use inside the company, and are dropped once the product is given an official designation under which it is to be marketed to the public. In recent years there has been a growing tendency of computer companies to make their codenames more public and more prominent; for example, Mac OS X whose recent versions have been dubbed "Jaguar" and "Panther," and Microsoft Windows which is under development for a future version named "Longhorn."

See also

• Code word
• CIA cryptonym