ICQ

English

Etymology

Pun on the pronunciation of "I seek you."

Pronunciation

• enPR: ī"sē-kyū', IPA^(key): /ˌaɪsiːˈkjuː/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

Noun

ICQ (plural ICQs)

1. (amateur radio) A call for acknowledgement.

Proper noun

ICQ

1. (Internet) A program allowing users to send each other instant messages via the Internet.
   • 2005, Laura Lambert, Chris Woodford, Christos J. P. Moschovitis, The Internet: A Historical Encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, page 136:

     ICQ was unusual among instant-messaging systems because it used what is called peer-to-peer technology—ICQ users essentially communicated with each other directly, without having all their messages pass through a central server.

Translations

ICQ

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: ICQ (zh)

• Russian: ICQ (ru), а́ська (ru) f (ásʹka) (slang)

Verb

ICQ (third-person singular simple present ICQs, present participle ICQing, simple past and past participle ICQed)

1. (transitive, Internet) To send an instant message to (someone) using ICQ.
   • 2000 January 14, Greg Miller, “Ethernet Is Changing Dorm Life”, in Los Angeles Times‎^[1], archived from the original on 30 June 2013:

     "My friends ICQ me before they call me just to make sure I'm there," said Kurera, a 19-year-old sophomore […]

   • 2002, Mike Savage, Lake Effect‎^[2], Savage Press, →ISBN, page 94:

     I'll log-on in Hawaii. If needed we can ICQ from there.

   • 2004, Michael C. Westwood, Meeting the President‎^[3], →ISBN, page 94:

     It shut him up. Never had him ICQ me again.

Anagrams

• CQI, QIC