| swap space | |
noun | |
| the disk space that is set aside for virtual memory |
swap space operating system
An area of disk (e.g. a swap file) used to store the state of a process that has been swapped out. Under a virtual memory system, it is the amount of swap space rather than the amount of physical memory which determines the maximum size of a single process and the maximum total size of all active processes.
[The Jargon File]
(1994-11-03)