misfetch

M3I1S1F4E1T1C3H4
/ˈmɪsfɛtʃ//mɪsˈfɛtʃ/

noun

An error that occurs when the wrong block of code is fetched in advance.

Scrabble 18

Meanings

nounmisfetch (plural misfetches)

plural misfetches

  1. computingAn error that occurs when the wrong block of code is fetched in advance.

    All branches and calls cause a misfetch when the branch is not present in the BTB.

    1998, International Symposium on Computer Architecture, Conference Proceedings: June 27 - July 1, 1998, Barcelona, Spain, page 36
    2 more examples

    It also shows the conditional branch misprediction rate ( due to both misprediction and target address misfetch), the return misprediction rate, and the BTB miss rate .

    1996, Parallel Architectures and Compilation Techniques, page 63

    Unfortunately, the typical optimizations for cachelike structures, such as larger capacity or associativity, will not help in decreasing misfetches.

    2010, Jean-Loup Baer, Microprocessor Architecture, page 148
  2. nauticalThe act of fetching to the wrong location.

    Sometimes you had to work the weather side on account of that being too far to get across the sand to a wreck from the leeward. That wasn't very nice, because you hadn't got no shelter and if you made a misfetch you'd soon be up alongside the wreck yourself.

    1980, Hervey Benham, The Salvagers, page 69
verbmisfetch (third-person singular simple present misfetches, present participle misfetching, simple past and past participle misfetched)

present singular third person misfetches · participle present misfetching · participle past misfetched · past misfetched

  1. computingTo fetch the wrong block of code or instruction.

    The number of cycles wasted on each mispredicted or misfetched branch is larger than in a RISC processor.

    2012, Michel Dubois, Murali Annavaram, Per Stenstrom, Parallel Computer Organization and Design, page 139
    2 more examples

    However, a single misfetched instruction can cause the system to begin executing code from nonexistent or improper memory locations, and it is unlikely to recover on its own.

    1989, Michael Slater, Microprocessor-based Design, page 268

    With Missf and Missp the percentages of branches that are misfetched and mispredicted, respectively (some branches can be both, as shown in two rows of Table 4.2), the contribution of the CPI due to branch execution, or the branch execution penalty bep expressed as a number of cycles, can be written in a first approximation (see the exercises) as […]

    2010, Jean-Loup Baer, Microprocessor Architecture, page 149
  2. nauticalTo steer to the incorrect location when trying to fetch somewhere.

    In Halfway Reach we mis-fetched and narrowly missed colliding with a fast moving freighter.

    1989, Dick Durham, The Last Sailorman, page 85
    1 more example

    Furthermore, the direct container handling at shipside can also be controlled by the ACYAS in order to prevent containers from misfetching.

    1986, International Journal on Policy and Information - Volume 10, page 41

Origin

Cite this entry
APA

misfetch. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/misfetch

MLA

“misfetch.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/misfetch. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “misfetch,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/misfetch.

Source: misfetch on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.