xon

Xon is a short string that appears in multiple, largely unrelated contexts. There is no single, widely accepted definition for 'xon'; its meaning varies with capitalization, language, and field. In reference works, 'xon' is seldom treated as a standalone concept, but it surfaces as part of longer terms or as a proper name.

In computing and telecommunications, XON commonly refers to a control character used in flow control to resume data transmission after an interruption signaled by XOFF. In practice, XON and XOFF form a pair used by serial interfaces and certain network protocols. The lowercase form 'xon' sometimes appears in code or informal discussion, but the formal term is usually capitalized as XON.

Xon also appears as a personal name, brand, or fictional name in various cultures and media. Such uses are generally independent of the technical XON concept and lack a unified definition across sources. Because the term spans diverse contexts, readers seeking a specific sense of 'xon' should examine the surrounding text for clues about capitalization and domain.

Related terms include XON and XOFF, which describe the flow-control mechanism, and other acronyms that may be formed with similar letters. As with many short strings, 'xon' serves primarily as a linguistic token whose meaning is determined by usage in a given document or database.