what is a glob?

[utzoo!decvax!duke!harpo!cbosg!teklabs!tekmdp!azure!randals]

Since my introduction to the usenet, I have been bombarded with the
origins of the words "foobar", "dsw", "[v]grep", and other such
fascinating additions to the English language by computer people.

One word that *I* could never totally figure out is the word "glob".
In version 6, a program /etc/glob was used to do the shell filename
metacharacter (* [] and ?) expansion, although this program
is not needed by the Bourne (V7) Shell.  In Berkley's C-shell, the
word again pops up in the definition of "noglob", a shell variable
that inhibits the filename expansion.

What is "glob"?  Who out there has an authoritative definition?

Beyond the word's definition, is it correct to use glob as a verb...
i.e.  "to glob" something?  With all the recent discussion of correct
grammar, I don't want to be left in the dark about proper usage of
computer jargon.

I will digestify personal responses.  Please mail them directly to me.

Randal L. Schwartz (...!{decvax,ucbvax}!teklabs!tekmdp!randals)
Tektronix Microcomputer Development Products
Beaverton, Oregon (anybody out there not know how to pronounce it by now?)