mutex.

A synchronization mechanism that allows only one participating execution thread or process to hold a particular lock at a time.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• acquire a mutex
• release a mutex

On the page

A thread held the mutex after its communication with the sensor failed.

Releasing the mutex allowed the waiting tasks to update the shared record.

Usage notes

Primary category: sci-fi. Forms: Singular mutex; plural mutexes. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.