Abnormal end

An AbEnd (also abnormal end or abend) is an abnormal termination of software, or a program crash.

This usage derives from an error message from the IBM OS/360, IBM zOS operating systems. Usually capitalized, but may appear as "abend". It is jocularly claimed to be derived from the German word "Abend" meaning "evening". Folklore stories from IBM also refer to the IBM language JCL being developed during the abortion debate in the United States. In a very early form of being politically correct, IBM revised any JCL that referred to ABORT to ABEND.