Domain Name Service

   Abbreviated DNS, sometimes referred to as Domain Naming System. A distributed addressing system that resolves the domain name into the numeric IP address. DNS lets you use the Internet without having to remember long lists of cryptic numbers. The most common high-level domains on the Internet include:

   .com = A commercial organization

   .edu = An educational establishmentsuch as a university

   .gov = A branch of the U.S. government

   .int = An international treaty organization

   .mil = A branch of the U.S. military

   .net = A network provider

   .org = A nonprofit organization

   Most countries also have unique domains named after their international abbreviation—for example, .uk for the United Kingdom and .ca for Canada.

   See also IP address; name resolution.