What does "memo" mean?

1. (office note) a short written message or report used to share information with people in the same company. 2. (computing) a saved result of a calculation that a computer program can reuse later to work faster. 3. (to send a note) to send someone a short note or message to keep a record of something.

How do you use "memo"?

Often used in the context of 'memoization' in functional programming.

memo

n. · v.

US //ˈmɛˌmoʊ// UK //mˈɛməʊ// memo

1 office note (n.)
B1 Intermediate

a short written message or report used to share information with people in the same company.

a brief written message or memorandum circulated within an organization to inform staff about a specific matter.

Example

The manager sent a memo to all staff about the new holiday policy.

Example

The internal memo outlined the restructuring plan in detail, ensuring that every department head was aware of the upcoming budgetary shifts.
2 computing (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

a saved result of a calculation that a computer program can reuse later to work faster.

a record of partial results stored in memory to be reused later, avoiding the need for redundant recomputation.

Example

The program uses a memo to store the answer so it doesn't have to calculate it again.

Example

By implementing a memo for the recursive function, the developer significantly reduced the execution time of the complex algorithm.

Usage

Often used in the context of 'memoization' in functional programming.
- cache
- stored result

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3 to send a note (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

to send someone a short note or message to keep a record of something.

to send a memorandum or brief note to a person, typically for the purpose of official documentation.

Example

I will memo the team about the change in our meeting time.

Example

The director decided to memo the board regarding the legal risks before the final vote took place.

Origin

Clipping of memorandum.

Idioms2 entries