HTTP cookie is a small piece of data stored on the user's computer by the web browser while browsing a website. It's designed to remember information about the user, similar to a digital post-it note the browser sticks on its metaphorical fridge.

How to use it in a sentence

I was trying to track down this weird bug in production and realized it was because the HTTP cookie had an extra field that our new microservice wasn't expecting. Guess I'll be spending my weekend updating the API specs instead of going to that hackathon.

My PM keeps asking why users have to log in again every time they close the browser, and I have to keep explaining that's how HTTP cookies work - they don't persist after the browser session ends, no matter how much he wants it to be like mobile apps.

If you actually want to learn more...

For more technical details on how cookies actually work under the hood, check out the HTTP cookie article on MDN. It dives into the nitty gritty of cookie attributes and security considerations.

If you're more interested in the implications and debate around tracking cookies for advertising (a spicy topic these days), Wired has an in-depth article on the death of third-party cookies. Spoiler alert: it's good news for tech giants like Facebook and Google.

And if you really want to nerd out, the official RFC 6265 spec has all the gory details on HTTP cookie implementation. Perfect bedtime reading material for those nights when you just can't fall asleep.

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