Source : WordNet®

Internet
     n : a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of
         computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols
         to facilitate data transmission and exchange [syn: {Net},
          {cyberspace}]

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

Internet
     
         (Note: capital "I").  The Internet is the largest
        {internet} (with a small "i") in the world.  It is a three
        level {hierarchy} composed of {backbone networks}, {mid-level
        networks}, and {stub networks}.  These include commercial
        (.com or .co), university (.ac or .edu) and other research
        networks (.org, .net) and military (.mil) networks and span
        many different physical networks around the world with various
        {protocols}, chiefly the {Internet Protocol}.
     
        Until the advent of the {World-Wide Web} in 1990, the Internet
        was almost entirely unknown outside universities and corporate
        research departments and was accessed mostly via {command
        line} interfaces such as {telnet} and {FTP}.  Since then it
        has grown to become an almost-ubiquitous aspect of modern
        information systems, becoming highly commercial and a widely
        accepted medium for all sort of customer relations such as
        advertising, brand building, and online sales and services.
        Its original spirit of cooperation and freedom have, to a
        great extent, survived this explosive transformation with the
        result that the vast majority of information available on the
        Internet is free of charge.
     
        While the web (primarily in the form of {HTML} and {HTTP}) is
        the best known aspect of the Internet, there are many other
        {protocols} in use, supporting applications such as
        {electronic mail}, {Usenet}, {chat}, {remote login}, and {file
        transfer}.
     
        There were 20,242 unique commercial domains registered with
        {InterNIC} in September 1994, 10% more than in August 1994.
        In 1996 there were over 100 {Internet access providers} in the
        US and a few in the UK (e.g. the {BBC Networking Club},
        {Demon}, {PIPEX}).
     
        There are several bodies associated with the running of the
        Internet, including the {Internet Architecture Board}, the
        {Internet Assigned Numbers Authority}, the {Internet
        Engineering and Planning Group}, {Internet Engineering
        Steering Group}, and the {Internet Society}.
     
        See also {NYsernet}, {EUNet}.
     
        {The Internet Index (http://www.openmarket.com/intindex)} -
        statistics about the Internet.
     
        (2000-02-21)

internet
     
         (Note: not capitalised) Any set of networks
        interconnected with {routers}.  The {Internet} is the biggest
        example of an internet.
     
        (1996-09-17)