CLIPS stands for C Language Integrated Production System. It is a tool used for building expert systems, which are computer programs that mimic human decision-making. Developed in the 1980s, CLIPS allows users to create rules and facts that the system can use to draw conclusions or make decisions based on the information provided. CLIPS is designed to be user-friendly and supports a variety of programming paradigms, including rule-based and object-oriented programming. It is widely used in artificial intelligence applications, such as diagnostic systems and automated reasoning, making it a valuable resource for developers and researchers in the field.