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Glite Dictionary
acoustic storage

acoustic storage

9.9
A type of computer memory that uses sound waves to store data for a short time
  • noun
  • /əˈkuːstɪk ˈstɔːrɪdʒ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : almacenamiento acústico
  • The principle behind acoustic storage relies on converting electrical signals into sound waves for temporary data retention.

Examples

  • Early computers sometimes used acoustic storage to hold information before the invention of magnetic memory.

  • Modern technology has replaced acoustic storage with faster and more reliable memory systems.

  • The early computers utilized acoustic storage for data management.

  • Can you explain how acoustic storage works?

  • Early computers sometimes used acoustic storage to hold information before the invention of magnetic memory.

  • The principle behind acoustic storage relies on converting electrical signals into sound waves for temporary data retention.

  • The early computers utilized acoustic storage for data management.

Surface Forms

acoustic storage singular
acoustic storages plural

Morphology

acoustic + storage

This is a straightforward adjective–noun compound: 'acoustic' (relating to sound) + 'storage' (a place or device for keeping information), so the meaning ‘storage that uses sound/ acoustics’ is directly inferable. Although it refers to a specific historical technology (acoustic delay lines), the composition follows regular English patterns and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Acoustic storage comes from early computers that used acoustic tubes for storage, turning electrical signals into sound waves that traveled along the tube and were read back later. That's why the term means 'storing data as sound waves'.