current working directory

A directory, associated with a process, that is used in path-name resolution for path names that do not begin with a slash. X/Open. ISO.1.
The directory that is searched when a file name is entered with no indication of the directory that lists the file name. The operating system assumes that the current directory is the root directory unless a path to another directory is specified. IBM.
In the OS/2 operating system, the first directory in which the operating system looks for programs and files and stores temporary files and output. IBM.