zombie process
/ˈzoʊmbi ˈprɒsɛs/ · zom·bie·pro·cess
noun
- A process that continues to run in the background, consuming system resources, even after its parent process has terminated or exited. The system administrator had to terminate the zombie process that was causing the server to slow down.
- A process that is no longer needed or useful, but continues to exist and consume resources, often due to a programming error or a design flaw. The zombie process was consuming a significant amount of memory, which was causing the application to become unresponsive.
Synonyms
idle processdormant processorphaned processdefunct processstale processabandoned processunused processforgotten process
Antonyms
Did you know? The term 'zombie process' is often used to describe a process that is no longer needed or useful, but continues to exist and consume resources, much like a zombie in folklore and fiction, which continues to exist and cause problems even after it has been killed or defeated.