prefetchn.
/ˈpriːfɛtʃ/, U.S. /ˈpriˌfɛtʃ/ Computing.
The action or process of prefetching data or code; an instance of this.
ΚΠ
1969 Computer Group News Mar. 11/1 This is the combined phenomenon of increased useful bandwidth and prefetch of future valuable information.
1978 Computer Dec. 7/2 Prefetches can be done in parallel, simultaneously with normal program operation, thus avoiding CPU idle time.
1996 H. G. Cragon Memory Syst. & Pipelined Processors ii. 102 These considerations include the time interval between the prefetch and the actual need.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
prefetchv.
/priːˈfɛtʃ/, U.S. /priˈfɛtʃ/ Computing.
transitive and intransitive. To transfer (data or code) from one level of a hierarchical storage system to a lower level, esp. from disk to memory or from memory to cache, in anticipation of later use.
ΚΠ
1971 IBM Techn. Disclosure Bull. 13 3732 [The] instruction fetching mechanism will be able to prefetch the instruction sequence dependent on the condition specified by a subsequent Branch on Condition instruction.
1983 Micro Feb. 228/3 The 68K prefetches instructions to the CPU before they need to be executed.
1992 Sun World July 70/1 (advt.) Teach your sparcstation to backup, seek, accelerate, prefetch, and talk to a lunchbox.
2003 APC Apr. 22/3 It's also the reason cache memory and predictive routines, which pre-fetch instructions before they're called for, have become increasingly important.
Derivatives
preˈfetched adj.
ΚΠ
1978 Computer Dec. 8/2 If this removed page is referenced sooner than the prefetched one.., this prefetch has increased the number of page faults.
1996 H. G. Cragon Memory Syst. & Pipelined Processors viii. 395 Any prefetched instructions are discarded.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1969v.1971