Definition of cache

The word "cache" originated in the 16th century from French, derived from the Old French word "cachier," which means "to hide" or "to conceal." In French, a "cache" referred to a hidden store of provisions or valuables, such as food, money, or treasure. This sense of hiding or storing valuable items is where the modern computer term "cache" comes from. In computer science, a cache is a small, fast memory storage system that stores frequently-used data or instructions, allowing the computer to quickly retrieve them instead of having to access slower main memory. The term has since been adopted in various fields, including finance, sports, and even anthropology, to refer to a reserve or stockpile of resources.