IRC /I-R-C/ n. [Internet Relay Chat] A worldwide "party line" network
that allows one to converse with others in real time. IRC is structured
as a network of Internet servers, each of which accepts connections from
client programs, one per user. The IRC community and the Usenet and
MUD communities overlap to some extent, including both hackers and
regular folks who have discovered the wonders of computer networks. Some
Usenet jargon has been adopted on IRC, as have some conventions such as
emoticons. There is also a vigorous native jargon, represented in this
lexicon by entries marked `[IRC]'. See also talk mode.