R.I.P.
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Requiescat in pace (may he or she rest in peace) |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Writing & Everyday, Texting & Internet Slang, Technology & Computing |
| Also written | RIP |
R.I.P. has three meanings. The most common are Requiescat in pace (may he or she rest in peace) (Latin) and Rest in peace (ironic internet use) (texting and chat); it can also stand for Routing Information Protocol.
Meanings of R.I.P. at a glance
| # | R.I.P. stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Requiescat in pace (may he or she rest in peace) | Writing & Everyday › Latin |
| 2 | Rest in peace (ironic internet use) | Texting & Internet Slang › Texting and Chat |
| 3 | Routing Information Protocol | Technology & Computing › Networking |
1. Requiescat in pace (may he or she rest in peace)
Writing & Everyday · Latin Abbreviations · also used in religion
Expresses a wish for the eternal rest of someone who has died, traditionally carved on gravestones and spoken in Christian prayers for the dead. It now also appears in condolence messages, social media tributes and, humorously, for anything that has ended.
Example: The weathered headstone bore only his name, the years 1921-1998 and the letters R.I.P.
The English "rest in peace" conveniently shares the Latin initials. The plural requiescant in pace refers to more than one person. The phrase became common on Christian tombstones in the 18th century, while early Christian catacombs used related wording such as "dormit in pace" ("he sleeps in peace"). Periods are optional (RIP).
2. Rest in peace (ironic internet use) (RIP)
Texting & Internet Slang · Texting and Chat Abbreviations
Online use of "rest in peace" to mourn a minor loss or failure, as in "rip my sleep schedule" or "rip my wallet." Separate from its sincere use for actual deaths.
Example: Spilled coffee all over my keyboard this morning, rip.
The ironic use has grown since the 2010s, especially among teens and gamers, who also type "rip" when a teammate dies in a game. Because the sincere meaning is still common, be careful with tone. In music, "rip" without capitals also means copying audio from a CD.
3. Routing Information Protocol (RIP)
Technology & Computing · Networking Abbreviations
One of the oldest distance-vector routing protocols, in which routers periodically share their entire routing tables with neighbors and choose routes by hop count alone. A limit of 15 hops restricts it to small networks.
Example: The lab still uses RIP version 2 so students can watch routing tables converge.
Version 1, in RFC 1058 (1988), broadcast updates every 30 seconds and carried no subnet masks; RIPv2 added classless routing and authentication, and RIPng supports IPv6. A route of 16 hops counts as unreachable. Slow convergence and the "counting to infinity" problem mean OSPF and EIGRP replaced it in most production networks long ago.
Related abbreviations
More Latin abbreviations
- pro tem. – Pro tempore (for the time being)
- prox. – Proximo mense (next month)
- q.v. – Quod vide (which see)
- QED – Quod erat demonstrandum (which was to be demonstrated)
- re – In re (in the matter of, regarding)
- s.l. – Sine loco (without place)
- s.n. – Sine nomine (without name)
- S.P.Q.R. – Senatus Populusque Romanus (the Senate and People of Rome)
See all 53 Latin abbreviations →