mutex-protected
|mu-tex-pro-tect-ed|
/ˈmjuːtɛks prəˈtɛktɪd/
protected by a mutex
Etymology
'mutex-protected' is formed from 'mutex' + 'protected'. 'mutex' is a contraction of 'mutual exclusion' coined in computing to name a lock providing mutual exclusion; 'protected' comes via English from Latin 'protegere' meaning 'to cover' or 'to defend'.
'mutex' originated as an English-made contraction of the phrase 'mutual exclusion' in mid-20th-century computing usage; 'protect' came from Latin 'protegere' → Old French 'protegier' → Middle English 'protecten', becoming modern English 'protect' and the past participle 'protected'.
'mutex' originally named the mechanism for mutual exclusion; 'protected' originally meant 'kept safe or defended'. Combined, the compound now specifically means 'kept safe from concurrent access by use of a mutex'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
protected by a mutex (a mutual-exclusion lock); access to the resource is serialized by acquiring a mutex to prevent concurrent access.
The shared buffer is mutex-protected to prevent concurrent writes.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/09 21:10