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Original · left

Pipeline (transport)

A long physical conduit constructed from connected metal or plastic tubes to transport water, oil, or gas.

First in use: the 1850s
Duplicate · right

Pipeline (software)

An automated series of computational data-processing steps where the output of one component serves as the input to the next.

First in use: the 1970s

Pipeline / Pipeline (transport) / Pipeline (software)

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Colour keyGrey · original meaningGreen · duplicate meaningAmber · contested (40–60%)How colours work

Oil pipes vs. CI/CD.

Which meaning of Pipeline is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Pipeline (transport) came first (the 1850s). Pipeline (software) arrived in the 1970s. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Pipeline (transport)Pipeline (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 1850s

Pipeline (transport)

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Duplicate · the 1970s

Pipeline (software)

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More duplicated terms

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