ENGLISH
REFERENCE

snapshot

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈsnæpˌʃɑt// UK //snˈæpʃɒt// snap·shot Computing Systems Design
Definition

n. a quick photo or a short description that shows what a situation is like at one specific moment. In computing, a snapshot is a saved record of the state of a computer system or database at a specific time, used so you can restore it later if needed.

n. a brief summary or representative look at a situation at a particular point in time; in computing, the recorded state of a system at a specific moment. In computing and data management, a snapshot refers to a read-only copy of a set of files or a storage volume as they appeared at a particular moment, allowing for system recovery or version control.


SIMPLE

The report provides a snapshot of the current economy.

CONTEXTUAL

Before updating the software, the administrator took a snapshot of the virtual machine to ensure they could revert if errors occurred.

COMPLEX

The survey offers a fascinating snapshot of public opinion during the transition period, though it cannot account for the rapid shifts in sentiment that followed the policy announcement.

Origin

From snap + shot.

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'of' to describe the subject being captured.

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