snapshot

Everyday

1. A snapshot is a photo taken quickly and casually, not posed carefully. tree →
2. A snapshot is a quick look or short piece of information that shows what something is like at one moment: a snapshot of life in Victorian times. tree →
3. In computing, a snapshot is a saved copy of how a system or files looked at one moment. tree →

In the lessons

History and geography lessons: a diary or photo gives «a snapshot» of the past. Maths and science: a survey on one day is a snapshot, not the full picture, so results can change on other days. Everyday life: holiday snapshots. Computers: snapshots let you go back if something goes wrong.

Examples

• Mum took a snapshot of us at the beach. tree →
• The old diary gives a snapshot of life in the war. tree →
• This survey is just a snapshot of what pupils think today. tree →
• The album is full of family snapshots. tree →
• The computer saved a snapshot before the update. tree →
• The report is a snapshot of the town in 1900. tree →
• He keeps a snapshot of his dog in his wallet. tree →

Note

Countable: a snapshot, snapshots. One word. Informal short form: «a snap» (UK: «holiday snaps»). A snapshot shows one moment only, so it can be misleading if things change.