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memory leak: n. An error in a program's dynamic-store allocation logic that causes
it to fail to reclaim discarded memory, leading to eventual collapse due to
memory exhaustion. Also (esp. at CMU) called
core leak. These problems were severe on older machines with small,
fixed-size address spaces, and special “leak detection” tools
were commonly written to root them out. With the advent of virtual memory,
it is unfortunately easier to be sloppy about wasting a bit of memory
(although when you run out of memory on a VM machine, it means you've got a
real leak!). See aliasing bug,
fandango on core,
smash the stack, precedence lossage,
overrun screw, leaky heap,
leak.
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