Caching

/ˈkæʃɪŋ/ verb

Definition

The process of storing data, information, or supplies in a hidden or reserved location for later use; in computers, temporarily keeping frequently-used data in fast memory.

Etymology

From French 'cache' meaning a hidden place or storage spot, from 'cacher' (to hide). The word was originally used for physical hidden stores, then adopted by computer scientists in the 1960s to describe temporary data storage methods. The computing meaning has become primary in modern usage.

Kelly Says

Computer engineers borrowed the centuries-old word 'cache' for hidden stores to describe how computers speed themselves up—your computer's cache memory works exactly like a squirrel's hidden nut stash, but measured in microseconds instead of seasons!

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