[W/K] :: dot notation

  dot notation
       
           Berkeley Unix notation for an Internet
          address, consisting of one to four numbers (a "dotted quad")
          in hexadecimal (leading 0x), octal (leading 0), or
          (usually) decimal.  It represents a 32-bit address.  Each
          leading number represents eight bits of the address (high byte
          first) and the last number represents the rest.  E.g. address
          0x25.32.0xab represents 0x252000ab.  By far the most common
          form is four decimal numbers, e.g. 146.169.22.42.
       
          Many programs accept an address in dot notation in place of a
          hostname.
       
          (2000-08-10)