front end: n. 1. An intermediary computer that does set-up and
filtering for another (usually more powerful but less friendly)
machine (a `back end'). 2. What you're talking to when you have a
conversation with someone who is making replies without paying
attention. "Look at the dancing elephants!" "Uh-huh." "Do you
know what I just said?" "Sorry, you were talking to the front end."
3. Software that provides an interface to another program `behind'
it, which may not be as user-friendly. Probably from analogy with
hardware front-ends (see sense 1) that interfaced with mainframes.
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