Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

named pipe
     
         A {Unix} {pipe} with a {filename} created
        using the "{mknod}" command.  Named pipes allow unrelated
        processes to communicate with each other whereas the normal
        (un-named) kind can only be used by processes which are parent
        and child or siblings ({fork}ed from the same parent).
     
        (1996-12-01)