snapshot

A photograph taken quickly, usually without careful preparation.

• I took a snapshot of the beach.
• These snapshots remind me of our holiday.
• Do you have a snapshot of your family?

How to use it: snapshot of someone/something (She showed me a snapshot of her cat.)

Similar words: photo, photograph, picture, snap

Common phrases: take a snapshot, family snapshot, holiday snapshot, snapshot of someone

A short description or view showing what something is like at a particular time.

• The report gives a snapshot of village life.
• These interviews offer snapshots of a changing city.
• Our figures provide a snapshot of the economy in June.

How to use it: snapshot of something (The survey gives a snapshot of public opinion.)

Similar words: glimpse, brief picture

Common phrases: snapshot of something, provide a snapshot, a brief snapshot

A saved copy of computer data at one moment, which can help return it to that state.

• Create a snapshot before making changes.
• We restored the server from yesterday's snapshot.
• The software keeps several snapshots of your files.

How to use it: snapshot of something (Make a snapshot of the database before updating it.)

Similar words: saved state, point-in-time copy

Common phrases: create a snapshot, restore a snapshot, database snapshot, system snapshot

A shot taken suddenly, with little time to aim or prepare.

• His snapshot hit the post.
• The keeper stopped a snapshot from close range.
• She fired a snapshot as the target passed.

Similar words: quick shot, snap shot

Common phrases: fire a snapshot, take a snapshot, a quick snapshot

To save a copy of computer data as it is at a particular moment.

• Snapshot the database before the update.
• The tool snapshots each disk every hour.
• We snapshotted the server so we could undo the changes.

Similar words: capture, save

Common phrases: snapshot a database, snapshot the system, snapshot a volume

To take a quick photograph of someone or something.

• She snapshotted the view from her window.
• Tourists were snapshotting everything they saw.
• He paused to snapshot a bird on the fence.

Similar words: photograph, snap

Common phrases: snapshot a scene, snapshot something, snapshot the view