algol Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the second brightest star in Perseus; the first known eclipsing binary
  2. noun (from a combination of ALGOrithmic and Language); a programming language used to express computer programs as algorithms

WordNet

Al"gol noun
Etymology
Ar. al-ghl destruction, calamity, fr. ghala to take suddenly, destroy.
Definitions
  1. (Astron.) A fixed star, in Medusa's head, in the constellation Perseus, remarkable for its periodic variation in brightness.

Webster 1913