rc file

/RC fi:l/ , n. [Unix: from runcom files on the CTSS system 1962-63, via the
startup script /etc/rc ] Script file containing startup instructions for an
application program (or an entire operating system), usually a text file
containing commands of the sort that might have been invoked manually once
the system was running but are to be executed automatically each time the
system starts up. See also dot file , profile (sense 1).

