random-access
|ran-dəm-æk-ses|
🇺🇸
/ˌrændəmˈæk.sɛs/
🇬🇧
/ˌrændəmˈæk.ses/
direct, non-sequential data access
Etymology
'random-access' originates from Modern English, specifically the compound of the adjective 'random' and the noun 'access'.
'random' comes from Old French 'randon' meaning 'impetuosity, speed' and entered English in the late medieval period; 'access' comes from Latin 'accessus' (from 'accedere' 'to approach') via Old French/Latin forms and Middle English 'acces'. The compound 'random-access' was coined in 20th-century computing terminology (mid-1900s) to describe direct data access methods.
Initially a descriptive compound combining 'random' (meaning 'without a fixed order') and 'access' (meaning 'approach/entry'); in computing it evolved to specifically denote non-sequential, direct retrieval of data and retains that technical sense today.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an instance or capability of accessing data in a non-sequential (direct) manner; often used in compounds (e.g., random-access memory or random-access file).
Random-access is essential for databases that require quick lookups of individual records.
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Adjective 1
describing a method of data access in which any element can be retrieved directly in approximately constant time, without the need to read sequentially through other elements (commonly used in computing: e.g., random-access memory).
The file format supports random-access reads, so the program can jump to any record without scanning the whole file.
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Last updated: 2025/10/04 19:40