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firmware: /ferm´weir/, n. Embedded software contained in EPROM or flash memory. It isn't quite
hardware, but at least doesn't have to be loaded from a disk like regular
software. Hacker usage differs from straight techspeak in that hackers
don't normally apply it to stuff that you can't possibly get at, such as
the program that runs a pocket calculator. Instead, it implies that the
firmware could be changed, even if doing so would mean opening a box and
plugging in a new chip. A computer's BIOS is the classic example, although
nowadays there is firmware in disk controllers, modems, video cards and
even CD-ROM drives.
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