cache

[ kash ]

noun

1. a hiding place, especially one in the ground, for ammunition, food, treasures, etc.:

   She hid her jewelry in a little cache in the cellar.

2. anything so hidden:

   The enemy never found our cache of food.

   Synonyms: store, reserve, stockpile, hoard

3. Also called cache storage. Computers. a temporary storage space or memory that allows fast access to data:

   Web browser cache;

   CPU cache.

4. Alaska and Northern Canada. a small shed elevated on poles above the reach of animals and used for storing food, equipment, etc.

verb (used with object)

, cached, cach·ing.

1. to put in a cache; conceal; hide.

   Synonyms: secrete

cache

/ kæʃ /

noun

1. a hidden store of provisions, weapons, treasure, etc
2. the place where such a store is hidden
3. computing a small high-speed memory that improves computer performance

verb

1. tr to store in a cache

cache

/ kăsh /

1. An area of computer memory devoted to the high-speed retrieval of frequently used or requested data.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cache¹

First recorded in 1585–95; from French, noun derivative of cacher “to hide,” from unattested Vulgar Latin coācticāre “to stow away,” originally, “to pack together,” frequentative of Latin coāctāre, equivalent to Latin coāct(us) “collected” (past participle of cōgere “to collect, compel”) + -icā- formative verb suffix + -re infinitive ending

Word History and Origins

Origin of cache¹

C19: from French, from cacher to hide

Example Sentences

Once again, California — despite it wielding by far the largest cache of electoral votes in the nation — kept its record intact of never having sent a Democrat to the White House.

From Los Angeles Times

“But I can tell you that there are no ammunition dumps or weapons caches in Baalbek.”

From BBC

We were also shown three caches of weapons it said were found inside civilian homes here, including boxes of brand-new mortars, new anti-tank missiles and mines, as well as sophisticated shoulder launched rockets and night-scopes.

From BBC

This is the third time Israel has launched air strikes on the city outside of the suburb of Dahieh, where it has struck repeatedly, killing Hezbollah commanders and destroying munitions caches.

From BBC

“This couldn’t have happened without betrayal,” said Ali, a Hezbollah supporter who lived in a Hezbollah-dominated area until his home was destroyed in an airstrike targeting what the Israeli military said was a weapons cache.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hideout
• hoard
• nest egg
• repository
• stash
• stockpile
• storehouse
• treasure
• wealth