prefetch

P3R1E1F4E1T1C3H4

verb

To load data or instructions in anticipation of their need

OriginEnglish fetch ← Middle English pre- ← Latin prae- →
Less commonScrabble 18
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbprefetch (third-person singular simple present prefetches, present participle prefetching, simple past and past participle prefetched)

present singular third person prefetches · participle present prefetching · participle past prefetched · past prefetched

  1. computingTo load data or instructions in anticipation of their need
nounprefetch (plural prefetches)

plural prefetches

  1. The operation of loading data or instructions in anticipation of their need.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
  4. Proto-Italic*prai
  5. Proto-Italic*prai-
  6. Latinprae-
  7. Middle Englishpre-
  8. Englishpre-
  9. Englishfetch
  10. Englishprefetch

From pre- + fetch.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Russian подгрузить, подгружать
  • подгрузить (podgruzitʹ)(computing) To load data or instructions in anticipation of their need
  • подгружать (podgružatʹ)(computing) To load data or instructions in anticipation of their need
Spanish prelectura
  • prelectura(computing) To load data or instructions in anticipation of their need
Cite this entry
APA

prefetch. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prefetch

MLA

“prefetch.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prefetch. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “prefetch,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prefetch.

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