Pwn

Pwn is a leetspeak slang term derived from the verb own, as meaning to appropriate or to conquer to gain ownership. The term implies domination or humiliation of a rival, used primarily in the Internet-based video game culture to taunt an opponent who has just been soundly defeated (e.g., "You just got pwned!").

In script kiddie jargon, pwn means to compromise or control, specifically another computer (server or PC), web site, gateway device, or application. It is synonymous with one of the definitions of hacking or cracking, including iOS jailbreaking. The Pwnie Awards are awarded by a group of security researchers.

Popularity of the term among teenagers rose in the mid-2000s, with the spread from the Internet written form to use in spoken language.

Pronunciations

Because pwn is primarily used in written form, it has no single generally accepted pronunciation: renditions include /ˈoʊn/ OHN, /ˈpwoʊn/ PWOHN, /ˈpoʊn/ POHN, /pəʔˈoʊn/ pə'-OHN, /ˈpɔːn/ PAWN, /piːˈoʊn/ pee-OHN, and /ˈpwiːn/ PWEEN. Originally, pwn and its variants were pronounced /ˈoʊn/ in the same way as the verb own, the tail of the p being "silent". A notable usage of this pronunciation can be seen in the Internet distributed series Pure Pwnage (pronounced "pure ownage" /ˈpjʊər ˈoʊnᵻdʒ/).

PWN

PWN may refer to:

RM-86 Exos

The Exos, originally designated RM-86 and later PWN-4, was a sounding rocket developed by the University of Michigan and NACA for use by the United States Air Force.

History

Developed by the University of Michigan for use by the Air Force Cambridge Research Center, Exos used a three-stage configuration, consisting of a first-stage rocket from an Honest John rocket, a second stage from a Nike-Ajax surface-to-air missile, and a Thiokol XM19 upper stage. It was designated XRM-86 in April 1959, and redesignated PWN-4A in June 1963.

Utilising a rail launcher, the first launch of a full Exos vehicle took place in June 1958, launched from the Wallops Flight Facility. Eight operational launches took place between 1960 and 1965, launched from Eglin Air Force Base.

Launch history

References