Random-access Memory

Definition: Random-access Memory

Random-access Memory

Noun

1. The most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on; an integrated circuit memory chip allows information to be stored or accessed in any order and all storage locations are equally accessible.

Specialty Definitions: Random-access Memory

Domain	Definitions
Computing	Random-access memory (RAM) (Previously "direct-access memory"). A data storage device for which the order of access to different locations does not affect the speed of access. This is in contrast to, say, a magnetic disk, magnetic tape or a mercury delay line where it is very much quicker to access data sequentially because accessing a non-sequential location requires physical movement of the storage medium rather than just electronic switching. The most common form of RAM in use today is built from semiconductor integrated circuits, which can be either static (SRAM) or dynamic (DRAM). In the 1970s magnetic core memory was used. RAM is still referred to as core by some old-timers. The term "RAM" has gained the additional meaning of read-write. Most kinds of semiconductor read-only memory (ROM) are actually "random access" in the above sense but are never referred to as RAM. Furthermore, memory referred to as RAM can usually be read and written equally quickly (approximately), in contrast to the various kinds of programmable read-only memory. Finally, RAM is usually volatile though non-volatile random-access memory is also used. Interestingly, some DRAM devices are not truly random access because various kinds of "page mode" or "column mode" mean that sequential access is faster than random access. (1995-12-05). Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Abbreviations & Acronyms: Random-access Memory

The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted.
Entry	Source	Expression	Field
RAMDAC	English	Digital to analogue video converter with random-access memory	N/A
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

Modern Translations: Random-access Memory

Language		Translations for "random-access memory"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Danish		statisk cache læse-skrift RAM (static cache random-access memory). (various references)

Dutch		statisch willekeurig toegankelijk lees/schrijf-voorgeheugen (static cache random-access memory). (various references)

French		mémoire intelligente � accès aléatoire (intelligent random-access memory), antémémoire statique � lecture-écriture � accès aléatoire (static cache random-access memory). (various references)

German		statischer Cache-Schreib-Lesespeicher mit wahlfreiem Zugriff (S-cache-RAM, static cache random-access memory). (various references)

Greek		στατική κρυφή μνήμη ανάγνωσης-εγγραφής τυχαίας προσπέλασης(S-cache-RAM) (S-cache-RAM, static cache random-access memory). (various references)

Italian		memoria intelligente ad accesso aleatorio (intelligent random-access memory), memoria cache statica di lettura e scrittura a libero accesso (S-cache-RAM, static cache random-access memory). (various references)

Pig Latin		andom-accessray emorymay.(various references)

Portuguese		memória-cache estática de leitura-escrita de acesso aleatório (S-cache-RAM, static cache random-access memory). (various references)

Spanish		memoria inteligente de acceso aleatorio (intelligent random-access memory), memoria cache estática de lectura-escritura de acceso aleatorio (S-cache-RAM, static cache random-access memory). (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.