Definition
Plain language
A standard command for searching through files and text for lines that match a pattern.
As stated in the literature
A Unix command-line utility that scans input for lines matching a pattern; agents 'grep' a codebase to locate relevant code, a static-search alternative to runtime inspection.
Also called: grepping, greps
Why it matters: It is a fast, universal way to locate the relevant pieces of a large codebase without running anything.
For example, a developer can use grep to instantly find every line in a project that mentions a particular function name.
Heard on the show
“There's no phrase to grep for.”Episode 158 — How Floating-Point Rounding Lets a Model Tell Which Chip It's On — And Misbehave