- This article is about the "beep" sound. See Beep for its disambiguation page.
A beep is a single tone, generally made by a computer or a machine.
Use in computers
In some computer terminals, the ASCII character code 7, bell character, outputs an audible beep. The beep is also sometimes used to notify the end-user when the BIOS is not working or there is some other error during the start up process.[1]
Use in transport
Beeps are also used as a warning when a truck or bus is reversing — a sound sometimes referred to as a Nader bell. It can also be used to define the sound produced by a car horn. Colloquially beep is also used to refer to the action of honking the car horn at someone, e.g., "Why did that guy beep at me?".
Use in telecommunication
A beep is also considered a colloquialism to describe a second telephone call coming in on the same phone line as someone is currently speaking, either on a landline or mobile phone. The call waiting feature often gives an audible "beep" noise to indicate that there is a second call coming in.
Censorship
The use of profanity on public broadcast is often censored by replacing the profane word or phrase with an audible beep(s).
See also
References
- ^ http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000232.htm
External Links
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