from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
chmod
<file system> ("Change mode") The {Unix} command and {system
call} to change the access {permissions} of a named file.
Each file (directory, device, etc.) has nine kinds of access
which can be allowed or denied. Different permissions apply
to the owner of the file, the members of the group the file
belongs to, and all users. Each of these classes of user
(owner, group and other) can have permission to read, write or
execute the file. Chmod can also set various other mode bits
for a file or directory such as the {sticky bit} and the {set
user id} bit.
Unix {man} page: chmod
(1995-01-31)