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Original · left

Lint (fluff)

Fluff and small fibers shed from fabric.

First in use: the 1300s
Duplicate · right

Lint (software)

A static-analysis tool that flags suspicious code; the original Unix lint shipped in 1978.

First in use: c. 1978

Lint / Lint (fluff) / Lint (software)

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Duplicate share · 12 mo—
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Colour keyGrey · original meaningGreen · duplicate meaningAmber · contested (40–60%)How colours work

Dryer fluff vs. static analysis.

Which meaning of Lint is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Lint (fluff) came first (the 1300s). Lint (software) arrived in 1978. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Lint (fluff)Lint (software)
English Wikipedia pageviews since July 2015 load here.

Duplicate's share of attention

Green line = duplicate's % · above 60 it owns the word · below 40 the original does

Share-of-attention line loads here.

The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · the 1300s

Lint (fluff)

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Duplicate · c. 1978

Lint (software)

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More duplicated terms

Programming & software