1. An aspect of an electronic circuit which is determined bY the wiring of the hardware, as opposed to being programmable in software or controlled bY a switch. 2. In software, a sYnonYm for hard-coded. 3. BY extension, anYthing that is not modifiable, especiallY in the sense of customisable to one' s particular needs or tastes. [Jargon File] (1999-10-18)