cache or caching

(pronounced: cash or cashing)

The action of storing Web files for later reuse so that they can be accessed more quickly by the end-user. When you're on the Web, the cache improves your Web browser's performance: It stores HTML page code, graphics, and multimedia elements so that when you return to that particular Web page (even if you just hit the back button), the information doesn't have to be downloaded all over again. The cache is a form of high-speed memory that your computer sets aside to store frequently accessed data; once the data is stored, it can be retrieved directly from your hard drive rather than from a server. Accessing your hard drive is much faster than Internet access, so this speeds things up. Hard disk access, however, is slower than RAM, which is why your computer also has a disk cache, an area that stores information you might need from your hard disk. It's a good thing to clean out your cache every now and then (only because it helps your computer run faster), but keep in mind that recently accessed Web pages may have to be reloaded.

Cache also refers to the concealed "valuables" hidden at the end of a geocache hunt!

Click on "more info" for a guide on how to make your Web site cache friendly!