mutex
n.n. a tool in computer programming that makes sure only one part of a program uses a specific piece of data at a time. It acts like a lock to prevent errors when different tasks try to change the same thing at once.
n. a synchronization primitive used in concurrent programming to manage access to a shared resource. It ensures mutual exclusion by allowing only one thread or process to acquire the lock at any given time, preventing race conditions.
The program uses a mutex to protect the shared database.
To prevent data corruption, the developer implemented a mutex that locks the file while the background process is writing to it.
Improperly managed mutexes can lead to deadlocks, where two threads are indefinitely blocked because each is waiting for a resource held by the other.
A portmanteau of the words mutual and exclusion. The term follows the established pattern of technical contractions used to describe algorithmic properties in concurrent computing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
A portmanteau of 'mutual exclusion'. Often used with verbs like 'acquire', 'release', 'lock', or 'unlock'.
Last updated July 22, 2026