DNS (Domain Name System) is the phone book of the internet, translating human-readable domain names like "google.com" into machine-readable IP addresses like "172.217.164.142". Without DNS, we'd all be stuck memorizing strings of numbers just to visit our favorite websites, like some kind of masochistic math club from hell.

How to use it in a sentence

• As the resident 10X engineer, I was tasked with optimizing our DNS infrastructure to ensure our website loaded faster than a Tesla in ludicrous mode. I implemented a multi-tiered caching system and anycast routing, because apparently, I'm the only one around here who knows how to do a damn thing.

• The marketing department couldn't understand why the new website wasn't loading, despite me explaining to them a thousand times that DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours. I guess I'll just sit here twiddling my thumbs while they learn the hard way that the internet doesn't run on fairy dust and unicorn farts.

If you actually want to learn more...

• How DNS Works - A fun, interactive comic that explains the basics of DNS without putting you to sleep. It's like a children's book for tech nerds.

• A Comparison of DNS Server Types: How To Choose the Right DNS Configuration - DigitalOcean breaks down the different types of DNS servers and when to use them. It's like choosing the right tool for the job, except the tools are all named after cute animals like "recursive resolvers" and "authoritative nameservers".

• DNS Security: Threat Modeling DNSSEC, DoT, and DoH - A deep dive into securing DNS with DNSSEC, DNS over TLS (DoT), and DNS over HTTPS (DoH). It's like putting your DNS queries in a bulletproof vest and sending them through a secret underground tunnel. Overkill? Maybe. But that's just how I roll.

Note: the Developer Dictionary is in Beta. Please direct feedback to skye@statsig.com.