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Glite Dictionary
💾 A separate device ☁️ Online backup
external storage

external storage

3.3
A service on the internet where you keep files and access them from any device
  • noun
  • /ɪkˈstɜrnəl ˈstɔrɪdʒ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : almacenamiento en la nube
  • She backed up her photos to external storage in the cloud to free up the laptop.

Examples

  • Our company uses external storage services to share large datasets with collaborators worldwide.

  • Before traveling, he moved all important files onto external storage accessible from any device.

  • I saved the files on external storage.

  • You should back up your data to external storage.

  • To ensure he didn't lose any important documents, he uploaded them to external storage accessible online.

  • The team relies on external storage for sharing files quickly with clients and partners globally.

  • She preferred using external storage so she could access her files from any location with internet.

Synonyms

virtual storage
vsexternal storage
  • Texting
3.6

Online space where you keep and access your files over the internet

is held outside the local device mainly for backup or sharing over a network

How Remote

external storage
  • Specialized
3.3
storage
  • Specialized
148 2.7
locally
  • Specialized
8 3.5

Surface Forms

external storage singular
external storages plural

Morphology

external + storage

The meaning 'storage kept outside a user's local device' is directly derivable from combining 'external' (outside) with 'storage' (place/device for keeping data). This is a straightforward compositional phrase with no idiomatic shift, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand it.

Etymology

External storage can also mean files kept away from your device on other computers or services. The word external shows it is 'outside' your device and storage is a place for files, so using the 'cloud' or a remote service lets you access, share, and back up files from any device.