Meaning of the word initialize in English

What does initialize mean in English? Explore the meaning, pronunciation, and specific usage of this word with Lingoland.

initialize

US /ɪˈnɪʃ.əl.aɪz/
UK /ɪˈnɪʃ.əl.aɪz/

Verb

to set something to its starting position or value

Example:
You need to initialize the new hard drive before you can use it.
The program will initialize all variables to zero at startup.