underflow

English

Etymology

From under- +‎ flow, modelled on overflow.

Pronunciation

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Noun

underflow (countable and uncountable, plural underflows)

1. A current flowing below the surface.
2. (computing) A condition in which the value of a computed quantity is smaller than the smallest non-zero value that can be physically stored; usually treated as an error condition.
3. (computing) The error condition that results from an attempt to retrieve an item from an empty stack.

Related terms

• overflow

Translations

computing: a condition in which the value of a computed quantity is smaller than the smallest non-zero value that can be physically stored

Czech: podtečení n Finnish: alivuoto Lithuanian: atvirkštinis perpildymas m Polish: niedomiar m Slovak: podtečenie

Verb

underflow (third-person singular simple present underflows, present participle underflowing, simple past and past participle underflowed)

1. (computing) To trigger the condition in which the value of a computed quantity is smaller than the smallest non-zero value that can be physically stored.
2. (computing) To trigger the error condition resulting from attempting to retrieve a value from an empty stack.
   • 2022, Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, Introduction to Algorithms, fourth edition, page 255:

     Upon an attempt to pop an empty stack, the stack underflows […]

Anagrams

• wonderful, wondreful