# grep

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ɡɹɛp/ · frequency rank #83,303

## Definitions
1. A program which selects lines in a file which match a given pattern.

## Etymology
From an idiomatic command sequence in the qed and ed text editors: ‘g/re/p’, meaning: globally search for a regular expression and print.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/grep