1. A control file for a program, eSpecially a text file automatically read from each uSer' S home directory and intended to be eaSily modified by the uSer in order to cuStomiSe the program' S behaviour. USed to avoid hard-coded choiceS (See alSo dot file, rc file). 2. A report on the amountS of time Spent in each routine of a program, uSed to find and tune away the hot SpotS in it. ThiSSenSe iS often verbed. Some profiling modeS report unitS other than time (Such aS call countS) and/or report at granularitieS other than per-routine, but the idea iSSimilar.