defragmentation
/ˌdɛfrəɡˌmɛnˈteɪʃən/ · de·frag·men·ta·tion
noun
- The act or process of rearranging data on a storage device, such as a hard drive, to improve performance by reducing fragmentation The computer's defragmentation process took several hours to complete, but it significantly improved the system's speed.
Did you know? The concept of defragmentation has been applied beyond computer science, with the term being used metaphorically to describe the process of reorganizing and streamlining complex systems or processes in various fields, such as business and psychology. This metaphorical usage highlights the versatility and adaptability of the term.