As a
verb, build describes the process of turning
source code into an
executable or
library. This involves
compile,
assembly, and
linking stages. This is initiated by the
make command.
As a noun, build refers to the final product of the above from a specific source code revision. For example, in "professional" software development firms, there is usually a daily build from which QA and developers work. They are numbered by date or simply given a serial number (as in Windows NT builds, eg. "Build 1381").