low-level code

noun
UK /ˌləʊ ˈlevəl kəʊd/
US /ˌloʊ ˈlevəl koʊd/

Code that is very close to what the computer's brain understands.

The programmer wrote low-level code to control the tiny chip.

SYNONYMS

machine codeassembly languagelow-level languagebinary code

RELATED WORDS

compilerprocessorinstruction setfirmwarebytecode

OTHER MEANINGS

2. Programming that deals directly with hardware details like memory and registers.

Writing drivers often requires low-level code.

3. Code that is hard for humans to read because it uses simple machine-like steps.

The old game was built with low-level code to run fast on slow machines.

4. Instructions written for a specific type of computer rather than a general one.

This low-level code only works on that particular processor.