IP
Abbreviation with 7 meanings
| Stands for | Internet Protocol |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 7 |
| Categories | Technology & Computing, Law & Legal, Medical, Science & Engineering, Sports |
IP has seven meanings. The most common are Internet Protocol (networking) and Intellectual property (intellectual property); it can also stand for Inpatient, Ingress protection (rating), Innings pitched, Infection preventionist and Intraperitoneal.
Meanings of IP at a glance
| # | IP stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Internet Protocol | Technology & Computing › Networking |
| 2 | Intellectual property | Law & Legal › Intellectual Property |
| 3 | Inpatient | Medical › Hospital |
| 4 | Ingress protection (rating) | Science & Engineering › Engineering |
| 5 | Innings pitched | Sports › Baseball |
| 6 | Infection preventionist | Medical › Hospital |
| 7 | Intraperitoneal | Medical › Medication Route |
1. Internet Protocol
Technology & Computing · Networking Abbreviations
The network-layer protocol that gives every device on the internet a numeric address and routes data in packets from source to destination. IP is connectionless and best-effort: it does not guarantee delivery or order, leaving that to TCP or to applications. Two versions are in use, IPv4 and IPv6.
Example: Your router assigned the laptop a private IP of 192.168.1.23, but websites only see the public address of the modem.
Designed by Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn in the 1970s; IPv4 was standardized in RFC 791 in 1981. In everyday speech "IP" usually means an IP address, as in "what's my IP?". Private ranges such as 10.0.0.0/8 and 192.168.0.0/16 are reserved for local networks by RFC 1918 and never appear on the public internet. Pronounced as two letters. In legal and business writing IP means intellectual property, an unrelated meaning.
2. Intellectual property
Law & Legal · Intellectual Property Abbreviations
Legal rights in creations of the mind, chiefly patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, which give owners exclusive control over inventions, creative works, brand identifiers and confidential business information. For many companies IP is the most valuable asset on or off the balance sheet.
Example: The startup's main asset is its IP: three pending patents and the trademark for its app.
US patents generally last 20 years from filing, copyrights for the author's life plus 70 years, and trademarks indefinitely while in use; trade secrets last as long as they stay secret. In networking, IP means Internet Protocol, as in IP address, an unrelated meaning. Lawyers who prosecute patents before the USPTO must also pass the separate patent bar.
3. Inpatient
Medical · Hospital Abbreviations
Patient formally admitted to a hospital by order of a physician or practitioner, as opposed to an outpatient or observation patient. It also labels services and facilities for admitted patients.
Example: Converted from observation to IP status after positive troponin.
Inpatient status affects Medicare coverage: Part A pays for inpatient stays, while observation is billed under Part B. Under the Two-Midnight Rule, admission is generally appropriate when care is expected to cross two midnights. Patients are often unaware of their status unless told.
4. Ingress protection (rating)
Science & Engineering · Engineering Abbreviations
Two-digit code, defined in IEC 60529, that rates how well an enclosure keeps out solid objects and dust (first digit, 0-6) and water (second digit, 0-9). An IP68 phone is dust-tight and protected against continuous immersion under conditions stated by the manufacturer.
Example: The outdoor light fixture is rated IP65, so it can withstand rain and hose spray but not submersion.
An X in place of a digit, as in IPX7, means that property was not tested. IP ratings are widely printed on phones, earbuds, cameras, lights and industrial equipment; North American enclosures may instead use NEMA type ratings. In networking IP means Internet Protocol, and in law intellectual property.
5. Innings pitched
Sports · Baseball Abbreviations
Number of innings a pitcher works, counted by outs recorded. Box scores write partial innings as .1 and .2 for one and two outs, so 6.2 IP means six and two-thirds innings.
Example: The starter went 7.0 IP and allowed one run on three hits.
The decimal notation is a convention, not a true decimal: 6.2 innings equals 6 2/3, not 6.2. Starters must pitch at least five innings to earn a win. Pitchers need 1 IP per team game, 162 in a full season, to qualify for ERA titles.
6. Infection preventionist
Medical · Hospital Abbreviations
Healthcare professional, usually a nurse, microbiologist or epidemiologist, who leads a facility's infection prevention program: surveillance, outbreak investigation, policies, education and reporting of healthcare-associated infections.
Example: IP notified of second C. diff case on unit; cleaning audit ordered.
Experienced IPs may earn the CIC credential from the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology. Their professional association is APIC. The role grew after the CDC's SENIC study in the 1970s showed that infection control programs reduce hospital infections.
7. Intraperitoneal
Medical · Medication Route Abbreviations
Administration of drugs or fluids into the peritoneal cavity. Its main uses are antibiotics added to peritoneal dialysis fluid for peritonitis and chemotherapy for ovarian and other abdominal cancers, including heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).
Example: Vancomycin 2 g IP in the long dwell for PD peritonitis.
IP dosing achieves high local drug levels while some drug is also absorbed systemically. In research, IP injection is the most common route in laboratory mice and rats. In hospital administration, IP more often means inpatient, so context separates the meanings.
Related abbreviations
More networking abbreviations
- ICANN – Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
- ICMP – Internet Control Message Protocol
- IETF – Internet Engineering Task Force
- IMAP – Internet Message Access Protocol
- IPsec – Internet Protocol Security
- IPv4 – Internet Protocol version 4
- IPv6 – Internet Protocol version 6
- IRC – Internet Relay Chat
See all 113 networking abbreviations →
More intellectual property abbreviations
- EUIPO – European Union Intellectual Property Office
- FRAND – Fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory
- FTO – Freedom to operate
- IDS – Information disclosure statement
- IPR – Intellectual property rights
- ITU – Intent-to-use application
- MPEP – Manual of Patent Examining Procedure
- NPE – Non-practicing entity
See all 50 intellectual property abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical or legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.