[W/K] :: password

  Password \Pass"word`\, n.
     A word to be given before a person is allowed to pass; a
     watchword; a countersign. --Macaulay.
     [1913 Webster]

  password
       n : a secret word or phrase known only to a restricted group;
           "he forgot the password" [syn: watchword, word, parole,
            countersign]

  password
       
           An arbitrary string of characters chosen by a user
          or system administrator and used to authenticate the user
          when he attempts to log on, in order to prevent unauthorised
          access to his account.
       
          A favourite activity among unimaginative computer nerds and
          crackers is writing programs which attempt to discover
          passwords by using lists of commonly chosen passwords such as
          people's names (spelled forward or backward).  It is
          recommended that to defeat such methods passwords use a
          mixture of upper and lower case letters or digits and avoid
          proper names and real words.  If you have trouble remembering
          random strings of characters, make up an acronym like
          "ihGr8trmP" ("I have great trouble remembering my password").
       
          (1994-10-27)