boilerplate
pronunciation
How to pronounce boilerplate in British English:
UK [ˈbɔɪləpleɪt]
How to pronounce boilerplate in American English:
US [ˈbɔɪlərpleɪt]
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- Noun:
- standard formulations uniformly found in certain types of legal documents or news stories
- thick plate iron used in the production of boilers
Word Origin
- boilerplate (n.)
- newspaper (and now information technology) slang for "unit of writing that can be used over and over without change," 1893, from a literal meaning (1840) "metal rolled in large, flat plates for use in making steam boilers." The connecting notion is probably of sturdiness or reusability. From 1890s to 1950s, publicity items were cast or stamped in metal ready for the printing press and distributed to newspapers as filler. The largest supplier was Western Newspaper Union.
Example
- 1. Indeed , it generates correct code on behalf of the developer , eliminating the need to write boilerplate code that is easy to get wrong .
- 2. Carefully document all boilerplate macros , especially the introduced variable bindings and all changes between versions .
- 3. Django apps should use as little code as possible ; they should lack boilerplate .
- 4. This means that boilerplate code is one of the few places where non-hygienic macros are useful .
- 5. Communication on facebook , myspace and twitter must be inherently less formal , more personal and intimate than the boilerplate copy that appears on a brand web site .