Rootkit
noun, verb
noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A set of software tools used by a third party to gain unauthorized access to a computer system and control the system while concealing itself from the user.
Verb
- 1 To infect (a computer system) with a rootkit. transitive
"Given crackers' propensity for "rootkitting" systems — installing altered system binaries to facilitate future access — systematic integrity checks using message digest algorithms or one-way hash functions can be an important detection safeguard."
Example
More examples"Given crackers' propensity for "rootkitting" systems — installing altered system binaries to facilitate future access — systematic integrity checks using message digest algorithms or one-way hash functions can be an important detection safeguard."
Etymology
From root + kit.
Related phrases
More for "rootkit"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.