from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
Internet Message Access Protocol
IMAP
<protocol, messaging> (IMAP) A {protocol} allowing a {client}
to access and manipulate {electronic mail} messages on a
{server}. It permits manipulation of remote message folders
({mailboxes}), in a way that is functionally equivalent to
local mailboxes.
IMAP includes operations for creating, deleting, and renaming
mailboxes; checking for new messages; permanently removing
messages; searching; and selective fetching of message
attributes, texts, and portions thereof. It does not specify
a means of posting mail; this function is handled by a mail
transfer protocol such as {SMTP}.
Latest version: 4.
See {RFC 2060}, {RFC 2061}, and others.
Compare: {POP}.
(1999-03-14)