template

Alteration of templet, probably from French templet, diminutive of temple (“a weaver's stretcher”), from Latin templum (“a small timber, tie-beam, a purlin”), from Proto-Indo-European *temp- (“to pull, stretch”). Alteration of second syllable due to analogy with plate. Cognate with Faroese tamba (“to stretch out, relax”), Icelandic þamb (“a stretched, bloated, or extended belly”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛmplɪt/, /ˈtɛmplət/, /ˈtɛmpleɪt/

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template (plural templates)

1. A physical object whose shape is used as a guide to make other objects.
2. A generic model or pattern from which other objects are based or derived.
3. (molecular biology) A macromolecule which provides a pattern for the synthesis of another molecule.
   • 2002, S. Lottin et al., “Thioredoxin post-transcriptional regulation by H19 provides a new function to mRNA-like non-coding RNA”, in Nature‎, volume 21, number 10:

     Classically, the functional product of coding genes is a protein whose synthesis is directed by an mRNA-template.

4. (object-oriented programming) A partially defined class or function, that can be instantiated in a variety of ways depending on the instantiation arguments.

   A template is a blueprint or formula for creating a generic class or a function. “C++ Templates”, in tutorialspoint, 2016

• templating (computing)

• template cache (computing)

• boilerplate
• macro
• stencil
• cookie cutter
• Wiktionary:Templates

template (third-person singular simple present templates, present participle templating, simple past and past participle templated)

1. To set up or mark off using a template.
   • 1994, Howard I. Chapelle, Boatbuilding‎, →ISBN, page 368:

     Only that part of the floor timber that bears on the planking and keel need be templated; […]

2. To provide a template or pattern for.
   • 2003, Yu Wang et al., “Synthesis and characterization of a new layered gallium phosphate templated by cobalt complex”, in Journal of Solid State Chemistry, volume 170, number 1, DOI:10.1016/S0022-4596(02)00060-9:

     Metal phosphates that are templated by transition-metal complexes are rare.

• templater

• palmette

• IPA^(key): /tɑ̃.plat/

template m (plural templates)

1. (object-oriented programming) template