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can vt.
To abort a job on a time-sharing system. Used esp. when the person doing the deed is an operator, as in "canned from the [console]". Frequently used in an imperative sense, as in "Can that print job, the LPT just popped a sprocket!" Synonymous with [gun]. It is said that the ASCII character with mnemonic CAN (0011000) was used as a kill-job character on some early OSes. Alternatively, this term may derive from mainstream slang `canned' for being laid off or fired.
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