PoliticsAugust 16, 2026

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KAP-chuh

Definition

A program or system intended to distinguish human users from automated bots by requiring them to complete a task that is easy for humans but difficult for computers, such as identifying obscured characters or images.

Etymology

It is an acronym that stands for 'Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.' It originated in the early 2000s from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University.

In the news

The word appears in the article as an interface component for the user to solve before submitting a form, used here as a security measure to prevent automated bot activity.

Pork and politics: Canadians bring trade pitch to Iowa state fair

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Winnipeg Sun

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