overflow bit

2 definitions found

overflow bit - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  overflow bit
  
     1. A flag on some processors indicating an attempt to
     calculate a result too large for the destination register to
     hold.
  
     2. More generally, an indication of any kind of capacity
     overload condition.  "Well, the Ada description was
     baroque all right, but I could hack it OK until they got to
     the exception handling ... that set my overflow bit."
  
     3. The hypothetical bit that will be set if a hacker doesn't
     get to make a trip to the Room of Porcelain Fixtures: "I'd
     better process an internal interrupt before the overflow bit
     gets set".
  
     [Jargon File]
  

overflow bit - Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) :

  overflow bit
   n.
  
     1. [techspeak] A flag on some processors indicating an attempt to
     calculate a result too large for a register to hold.
  
     2. More generally, an indication of any kind of capacity overload
     condition. "Well, the Ada description was baroque all right, but I
     could hack it OK until they got to the exception handling ... that
  set
     my overflow bit."
  
     3. The hypothetical bit that will be set if a hacker doesn't get to
     make a trip to the Room of Porcelain Fixtures: "I'd better process an
     internal interrupt before the overflow bit gets set."