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Big-endian

Definitions:

  The property of a byte string having its bytes positioned in order of decreasing significance. In particular, the leftmost (first) byte is the most significant, and the rightmost (last) byte is the least significant. The term “big-endian” may also be applied in the same manner to bit strings.
Sources:
FIPS 205 under big-endian from NIST SP 800-56B Rev. 2 - adapted

  The property of a byte string having its bytes positioned in order of decreasing significance. In particular, the leftmost (first) byte is the most significant byte (containing the most significant eight bits of the corresponding bit string) and the rightmost (last) byte is the least significant byte (containing the least significant eight bits of the corresponding bit string). For purposes of this Recommendation, it is assumed that the bits within each byte of a big-endian byte string are also positioned in order of decreasing significance (beginning with the most significant bit in the leftmost position and ending the the least significant bit in the rightmost position).
Sources:
NIST SP 800-56B Rev. 2

  

The property of a byte string having its bytes positioned in order of decreasing significance. In particular, the leftmost (first) byte is the most significant (containing the most significant eight bits of the corresponding bit string), and the rightmost (last) byte is the least significant (containing the least significant eight bits of the corresponding bit string). 

For the purposes of this Recommendation, it is assumed that the bits within each byte of a big-endian byte string are also positioned in order of decreasing significance (beginning with the most significant bit in the leftmost position and ending with the least significant bit in the rightmost position).


Sources:
NIST SP 800-56C Rev. 2