shellvariable

noun

UK /ʃɛl ˈvɛː.ri.ə.bəl/

US /ʃɛl ˈvɛr.i.ə.bəl/

A shell variable is a named box in a computer's command line that holds a value you can use later.

I set a shell variable called NAME to hold my username.

SYNONYMS

environment variable command-line variable shell parameter variable

RELATED WORDS

shell script command line environment bash export

OTHER MEANINGS

2. A value stored by the command interpreter that programs can read when they run.

The shell variable PATH tells the system where to find programs.

3. A temporary name in a terminal session that you can change or remove.

She unset the shell variable after finishing the script.

4. A setting used by a shell to control how commands behave.

Changing the shell variable PS1 changes the prompt you see.