Buzzword Chasers

A Sprite (within the context of computer graphics) is a 2 or 3 dimensional image that is integrated into a larger scene. Sprites served as an early optimization technique whos purpose was to keep memory costs low within animations.

Within context of web design, Sprites are often used as background images for items such as form fields or navigational elements. These sprites are moved around to their appropriate position to notify web surfers of mouse overs, errors or other usability clues.

Example sprite:

example sprite