| Noun | 1. | backup - an accumulation caused by clogging or a stoppage; "a traffic backup on the main street"; "he discovered a backup in the toilet" |
| 2. | backup - someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult); "the star had a stand-in for dangerous scenes"; "we need extra employees for summer fill-ins" | |
| 3. | backup - a subordinate musical part; provides background for more important parts | |
| 4. | backup - (computer science) a copy of a file or directory on a separate storage device; "he made a backup in case the original was accidentally damaged or erased" Synonyms: computer backup | |
| 5. | backup - the act of providing approval and support; "his vigorous backing of the conservatives got him in trouble with progressives" |
| (operating system) | backup - (Sometimes "back up" when used as a verb) A
spare copy of a file, file system or other resource for use in
the event of failure or loss of the original. The term is most commonly used to refer to a copy of all the files on a computer's disks which is made periodically and kept on magnetic tape or other removable medium (also called a "dump"). This essential precaution is neglected by most new computer users until the first time they experience a disk crash or accidentally delete the only copy of the file they have been working on for the last six months. Ideally the backup copies should be kept at a different site or in a fire safe since, though your hardware may be insured against fire, the data on it is almost certainly neither insured nor easily replaced. See also differential backup, incremental backup, full backup. Compare archive. |