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efaq: Extended commands

 
 1.2 What does ‘M-x COMMAND’ mean?
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 ‘M-x COMMAND’ means type ‘M-x’, then type the name of the command, then
 type <RET>.  (Basic keys, if you’re not sure what ‘M-x’ and
 <RET> mean.)
 
    ‘M-x’ (by default) invokes the command ‘execute-extended-command’.
 This command allows you to run any Emacs command if you can remember the
 command’s name.  If you can’t remember the command’s name, you can type
 <TAB> and <SPC> for completion, <?> for a list of possibilities, and
 ‘M-p’ and ‘M-n’ (or up-arrow and down-arrow) to see previous commands
 entered.  An Emacs “command” is an “interactive” Emacs function.
 
    Your system administrator may have bound other key sequences to
 invoke ‘execute-extended-command’.  A function key labeled ‘Do’ is a
 good candidate for this, on keyboards that have such a key.
 
    If you need to run non-interactive Emacs functions, see 
 Evaluating Emacs Lisp code.
 

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