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storage medium

storage medium

1 4.1
A device like a hard drive or CD that holds computer files
  • noun
  • /ˈstɔːrɪdʒ ˈmiːdiəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : medio de almacenamiento
  • The certificate may be presented in the form of a paper sheet (hereinafter paper certificate) or in the form of a plastic card with an electronic storage medium (hereinafter electronic certificate).
  • use of a storage medium

They proved that DNA is a very efficient information storage medium.

Examples

  • There is, however, one storage medium that is widely available and can be relatively efficient.

    Blog text (33)
  • This has the potential to eliminate the size, weight, and power limitations of traditional storage media.

    Academic text (1997)
  • With a large enough storage medium, you can shoot hundreds of photos without having to change film.

    Academic text (2009)
  • So all the necessary software, consisting of application program code, pictures, sound, and text, is carried on a single storage medium.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Digital storage media for text, images, sound, and motion pictures costs, for all intents and purposes, almost nothing.

    Blog text (29)
  • The DVD is a high-capacity, multimedia data storage medium.

    Academic text (2002)
  • The information age has been facilitated by the exponentially growing capacity of storage media such as magnetic disks.

    Academic text (2002)
  • This time I'm going to talk about the life expectancy of different storage media, including hard drives, SSDs, and optical disks.

  • What could you do with an energy storage medium that had the energy density of electrochemical batteries but the temperature insensitivity and burst power capability of a spring?

    Academic text (2010)
  • The DVD is a high-capacity, multimedia data storage medium.

Synonyms

storage device
vsstorage medium
  • Specialized
5 3.5

A thing that stores computer files, like a hard drive or USB stick

is broader including materials as well as equipment for storing information
memory device
vsstorage medium
1 3.5

A thing that stores information like files or photos so you can use it later

is more general covering both materials and equipment used to hold information
data-storage medium
vsstorage medium
  • Specialized
4.1

A device or material that keeps information so you can use it later

is a general term for storing digital or analog information without retrieval focus

How Much

hard drive
  • Specialized
106 2.8
storage medium
  • Specialized
1 4.1
flash memory
  • Specialized
3 4.2
CD
396 1.4
floppy disk
  • Archaic
6 3.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

storage + media

The meaning 'a device or material used to store information' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'storage' (the act or place of storing) with 'medium' (a means or material). This simple compositional noun phrase follows common English compounding patterns and has clear equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The compound noun storage medium comes from the simple idea of a material or device that 'holds' things. Think of a box or jar that keeps objects: storage means keeping and medium means the thing that holds them, so a hard drive, CD, or flash drive is called a storage medium because it holds digital information.