swap
To move a program from fast-access memory
to a slow-access memory ("swap out"), or vice versa ("swap
in"). The term often refers specifically to the use of a
{hard disk} (or a {swap file}) as {virtual memory} or "swap
space".
When a program is to be executed, possibly as determined by a
{scheduler}, it is swapped into {core} for processing; when it
can no longer continue executing for some reason, or the
scheduler decides its {time slice} has expired, it is swapped
out again.
This contrasts with "paging" systems in which only parts of a
program's memory is transfered.
[{Jargon File}]
(1996-11-22)