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Cache vs Backup - What's the difference?

cache | backup |

As adjectives the difference between cache and backup

is that cache is hidden while backup is standby, reserve or extra.

As a verb cache

is .

As a noun backup is

a reserve or substitute.

cache

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way.
    • Members of the 29-man Discovery team laid down food caches''' to allow the polar team to travel light, hopping from food '''cache''' to food '''cache on their return journey.
  • (computing) A fast temporary storage where recently or frequently used information is stored to avoid having to reload it from a slower storage medium.
  • (geocaching) A container containing treasure in a global treasure-hunt game.

    • Related terms

    * concealment * evader * evasion * evasion and recovery * recovery * recovery operations

    References

    * JP 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms

    Verb

    (cach)
  • To place in a cache.
  • (Marijuana smoking) For the herb in a bowl to be entirely burnt to ashes and therefore having become empty, gone, or useless for further smoking

    • backup

    English

    Alternative forms

    * back-up

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A reserve or substitute.
    • If the goalkeeper is injured, we have a backup .
  • (computing) A copy of a file or record, stored separately from the original, that can be used to recover the original if it is destroyed or damaged.
    • After the power failure, we had to restore the database from backup .
  • An accumulation of material that halts the flow or movement of something.
    • The blockage caused a backup in the plumbing.
  • (law enforcement) reinforcements
    • He's got a gun - you better send for backup .

    Synonyms

    * (reserve ): reserve, stand-in, spare, substitute * (computing: copy of a file or record ): * (accumulation of material that halts flow ): block, blockage

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Standby, reserve or extra.
    • I am only a backup player.
  • (computing) That is intended as a backup.
    • Make a backup copy of that file.

    Synonyms

    * (reserve) extra, reserve, spare, standby

    Usage notes

    Back-up'' is an alternative spelling of backup. Both spellings are used as either a noun or an adjective. The verb ''back up is always spelled as two words and never with a hyphen.