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phrase

404

Missing, lost, or not found โ€” borrowed from the web error code.

Origin

404 is the HTTP status code returned when a server can find no resource matching the requested URL. Defined in the original HTTP specification in 1992, the number became famous because users see it directly. Its origin in 'room 404' at CERN, where the world wide web was developed, is a charming legend without evidence.

Modern usage

Used as a verb and adjective for absence. 'My motivation 404'd', 'his sense of humor is 404'. Almost always written, rarely spoken.

In the wild

She asked for empathy and got a 404.โ€” common online usage

Tags

missing
internet
error

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