Dumpfile

/ˈdʌmpˌfaɪl/ noun

Definition

In computing, a file containing a complete or partial copy of a computer's memory or system data, often used for debugging or system analysis.

Etymology

From 'dump' (to output or copy data) + 'file' (a collection of stored data). This technical term emerged in the 1960s with early computer systems.

Kelly Says

When a computer crashes mysteriously, engineers examine the dumpfile like detectives looking for clues—it's a frozen snapshot of exactly what the program was doing when everything went wrong.

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