What is business objects

When I browse the BusinessObject pages on SDN and the BusinessObjects forums, i see a lot of infomation about tools and stuf that I know - and still I am not familiar with the term "BusinessObjects"

I know SAP R/3 Business Objects and the Business Object Builder (transaction SWO1), but I can see that these Business Objects has nothing to do with BusinessObjects?

Can anyone explain in a nutshell what is BusinessObjects?

Thanks

Thomas