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IMAX -

The IMAX in IMAX Theater actually stands for Image Maximum, which is a large-format movie theater.

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RADAR -

RADAR stands for the technology called "radio detection and ranging." It's a device capable of detecting objects at far-off distances, and measuring by using electromagnetic waves.

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TASER -

The electrical weapon is actually an acronym for "Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle." The name was inspired from the main character in Victor Appleton's 1911 novel 'Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle.'

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SCUBA -

This piece of diving equipment is an acronym for "self-contained underwater breathing apparatus." The acronym is much easier to remember!

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SIM -

An essential device in order to use your phone, your SIM card is actually an abbreviation for "Subscriber Identity Module."

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AM and PM -

You probably use these acronyms every day. But did you know they stand for "ante meridiem" and "post meridiem"? It's Latin for before midday and after midday.

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NASA -

The American space agency actually stands for "National Aeronautics and Space Administration."

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CAPTCHA -

CAPTCHA stands for "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart." A mouthful! It's an interactive feature added to websites to distinguish whether a human or a robot is using the form.

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LASER -

The letters in this word stands for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation." Laser devices emit light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation.

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Yahoo! -

You probably wouldn't have guessed this, but Yahoo! stands for "Yet Another Hierarchically Organized Oracle."

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BAE -

This acronym means "before anyone else." It often refers to a boyfriend or girlfriend.

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UNICEF -

UNICEF is the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. They provide funding to help children in crisis around the world.

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SWAT -

In the US, a SWAT team is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. The acronym stands for "Special Weapons and Tactics."

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URL -

URL is an acronym for "Uniform Resource Locator." It's a reference, or an address, to a resource on the internet.

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JPEG -

People rarely, if ever, use the full name of the "joint photographic experts group," which is understandable!

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FOMO -

That feeling of apprehension that one is either clueless or missing out on information, events, and experiences is known as "fear of missing out," or FOMO.

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POTUS -

POTUS is an acronym that stands for the President of the United States. For its part, FLOTUS stands for First Lady of the United States.

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GIF -

When people search for these moving images, many don't know that GIF stands for "graphics interchange format."

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NATO -

NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Founded in 1949, they work to protect the freedom and security of member countries in North America and Europe.

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YOLO -

A famous acronym thanks to Drake, YOLO stands for "you only live once." It's commonly used to encourage exciting or thrilling experiences.

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PIN -

When in all caps, the word PIN stands for "personal identification number." This is the secret number you use to access private documents, files, and account information.

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ASAP -

ASAP is an acronym for "as soon as possible." This common phrase means you'll do something when you have the chance, or that you want someone to do something quickly.

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FBI -

FBI stands for the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The domestic intelligence and security service of the US was founded in 1908.

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DIY -

DIY, or "do it yourself," is commonly used on websites or social media accounts that provide tutorials or help.

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LOL -

This abbreviation stands for "laugh out loud" and typically means something is very funny. If you haven't been living under a rock, this one should be rather obvious!

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BRB -

BRB stands for "be right back." It's often used in text or chat discussions when one person has to step away.

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FYI -

If you need to write "for your information" in texts or messaging apps, then use FYI.

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SOS -

Commonly assumed to stand for "save our ship,"  the international distress signal doesn’t actually stand for anything!

Sources: (Reader's Digest) (Insider)

See also: English words borrowed from foreign languages

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