messagedigestfunction
nounUK /ˈmɛsɪdʒ daɪˌdʒɛst ˈfʌŋkʃən/
US /ˈmɛsɪdʒ daɪˌdʒɛst ˈfʌŋkʃən/
A tool that turns a message into a short secret code so you can check it was not changed.
The computer used a message digest function to make sure the file arrived safely.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A mathematical rule that maps data of any size to a fixed-size string of characters.
SHA-256 is a well-known message digest function.
3. A procedure used in security software to detect whether digital information has been tampered with.
The app relies on a message digest function to verify downloads.
4. A one-way transformation that makes it hard to recover the original message from its digest.
Because it is one-way, the message digest function protects passwords.