mark and sweep

noun

A form of garbage collection in which every accessible object in memory is flagged, leaving unflagged only those that are no longer reachable and can thus be discarded.

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Meanings

nounmark and sweep (uncountable)
  1. uncountablecomputingA form of garbage collection in which every accessible object in memory is flagged, leaving unflagged only those that are no longer reachable and can thus be discarded.
Cite this entry
APA

mark and sweep. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mark%20and%20sweep

MLA

“mark and sweep.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mark%20and%20sweep. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mark and sweep,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mark%20and%20sweep.

Source: mark and sweep on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.