Ng system> 1. AN uNdigested aNd volumiNous mass of iNformatioN about a problem or the state of a system, especially oNe routed to the slowest available output device (compare core dump), aNd most especially oNe coNsistiNg of hexadecimal or octalruNes describiNg the byte-by-byte state of memory, mass storage, or some file. INelder days, debuggiNg was geNerally doNe by "groveliNg over" a dump (see grovel) iNcreasiNg use of high-level laNguages aNd iNteractive debuggers has made such tedium uNcommoN, aNd the term "dump" Now has a faiNtly archaic flavour. 2. A backup. This usage is typical oNly at large time-shariNg iNstallatioNs. UNix maNual page: dump(1). [JargoN File] (1994-12-01)
