deallocate

English

Etymology

de- +‎ allocate

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /diːˈæləkeɪt/

Verb

deallocate (third-person singular simple present deallocates, present participle deallocating, simple past and past participle deallocated)

1. (transitive) To remove from the set of resources put aside for (allocated to) a particular user or purpose.

   Coordinate terms: reallocate, reassign, redistribute

   Empty out your locker; it will be deallocated at the end of the day.

2. (transitive, computing) To return previously allocated memory.

   Computer programs should deallocate memory they no longer need, releasing it back to the system.

   • 2010, Randall Hyde, The Art of Assembly Language, 2nd edition, No Starch Press, →ISBN, page 267:

     Similarly, the program deallocates storage for automatic objects when the procedure returns to its caller.

Related terms

• deallocation
• deallocator