<data, architecture> A computer architecture in which, within
a given 16- or 32-bit word, bytes at lower addresses have
lower significance (the word is stored "little-end-first").
The PDP-11 and VAX families of computers and Intel
microprocessors and a lot of communications and networking
hardware are little-endian.
The term is sometimes used to describe the ordering of units
other than bytes; most often, bits within a byte.
Compare big-endian, middle-endian. See NUXI problem.
[Jargon File]
(1995-08-16)
Nearby terms:
lithium lick « LitProg « LITTLE « little-endian » Little Smalltalk » live data » Live Free Or Die!
