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Differentiate vs Diff - What's the difference?

differentiate | diff |

As verbs the difference between differentiate and diff

is that differentiate is to show, or be the distinction between two things while diff is (computing) to run a diff program on (files or items) so as to produce a description of the differences between them, as for a patch file.

As a noun diff is

(slang).

As a proper noun diff is

(computing) a program, historically part of the unix operating system, which compares two files or sets of files and outputs a description of the differences between them.

differentiate

English

Verb

(differentiat)
  • To show, or be the distinction between two things.
  • * Earle
  • The word "then" was differentiated into the two forms "then" and "than".
  • * {{quote-book, year=1933
  • , passage=The mass of the rich and poor are differentiated by their incomes and nothing else, and the average millionaire is only the average dishwasher dressed in a new suit. , author=George Orwell, title=Down and Out in Paris and London, chapter=Ch. XXII, page=120, publisher=Harvest / Harcourt paperback edition}}
  • To perceive the difference between things; to discriminate.
  • * {{quote-book, title=, year=1964
  • , passage=he refused to instruct that actual intent to harm or recklessness had to be found before punitive damages could be awarded, or that a verdict for respondent should differentiate between compensatory and punitive damages.}}
  • (intransitive) To modify, or be modified.
  • (mathematics) To calculate the derivative of a function.
  • (mathematics) To calculate the differential of a function of multiple variables.
  • (biology) To produce distinct organs or to achieve specific functions by a process of development called differentiation.
  • * {{quote-book, title=, year=1930, author=Robert Evans Snodgrass
  • , passage=In Chapter IV we learned that every animal consists of a body, or soma, formed of cells that are differentiated from the germ cells usually at an early stage of development.}}

    Derived terms

    * differentiation

    diff

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (slang)
  • A peach and an apricot? What's the diff ?
  • (computing) Any program which compares two files or sets of files and outputs a description of the differences between them.
  • (computing) The output of a diff program. A diff file.
  • * 2004 , , Great Hackers , Essay:
  • I didn't want to waste people's time telling them things they already knew. It's more efficient just to give them the diffs .
  • (medicine) : differential of types of white blood cell in a complete blood count.
  • (slang)
  • (rock climbing) A difficult route.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (computing) To run a diff program on (files or items) so as to produce a description of the differences between them, as for a patch file.
  • (computing) To compare two files or other objects, manually or otherwise.
  • Proper noun

    (en proper noun)
  • (computing) A program, historically part of the Unix operating system, which compares two files or sets of files and outputs a description of the differences between them.
  • See also

    * (computing ) patch