Cache

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /kæʃ/

Definitions

1. A hidden storage location where items or data are kept for quick future access or safekeeping
2. A concealed place where information or items are stored for later retrieval or protection against loss
3. An encrypted or disguised repository that secures materials or data for immediate use or preservation against threats

Etymology: The English "cache" comes to us from French, but the French word itself was shaped by the fur trade in North America. In French Canada, trappers and traders used "cache" to mean a hiding place for stores, a spot where supplies could be buried or concealed and collected later on the return journey. The French noun is built on the verb "cacher," meaning "to hide," so the word's core sense has always been about concealment rather than about storage as such. The meaning then widened in English. What began as a practical hiding place for food and gear came to describe any hidden store kept for quick retrieval or safekeeping, and in computing it now names a fast memory store that holds frequently used data close at hand. The original idea of hiding something away for later use still underlies that technical sense.

Synonyms: store, hoard, supply, stockpile, reserve

Antonyms: deplete, use up, expend, consume, spend