a name for a specific object instance, one combination of a CLSID and persistent data for an object
a special type of COM object built to know how and where to instantiate another specific object and to initialize that object with its persistent data
A COM object that contains information that can be used to create and initialize an instance of a specific COM object. A client can use a moniker to locate that object, activate it when necessary, and get a pointer to one of the object's interfaces. Clients of COM objects can create and initialize the objects without using a moniker. However, using a moniker can simplify complex initialization operations for the client.
A name that uniquely identifies a COM object similar to a directory path name. Monikers support an operation known as binding, which is the process of locating the object named by the moniker, activating it or loading it in memory if it isn't already there, and returning an interface pointer to it.