What do we call the machine code produced when compiling a program written in a higher-level language?

The term used to describe the machine code generated when compiling a program written in a higher-level language is "Object Code." When a higher-level language is compiled, it is translated into a lower-level language that can be executed directly by the computer's processor. This object code is not yet fully linked and may require additional processing to create a complete executable file.

Object code is a crucial step in the compilation process and typically includes machine instructions specific to the hardware architecture, along with other information such as metadata and symbol tables. This output is then often linked with other object files and libraries to create an executable program.

In contrast, "Executable Code" refers specifically to the final compiled program that can be run by an operating system. "Source Code" denotes the original human-readable code written by the programmer before compilation. "Bytecode" is a form of instruction set designed for efficient execution by an interpreter or a virtual machine, which typically comes from languages like Java and is often not the direct result of compilation to machine code.