Memory-Hole

Pronunciation: /ˈmɛməri hoʊl/

Definitions of memory-hole

noun a fictional device described in George Orwell's novel 1984, used to erase or alter historical records and memories

Example Sentences

A1 I threw the old photographs into the memory-hole.

A2 She deleted the embarrassing email and sent it to the memory-hole.

B1 The company's unethical practices were quickly swept under the memory-hole.

B2 The government tried to use the memory-hole to erase any evidence of their corruption.

C1 Historians fear that important documents may have been lost in the memory-hole of censorship.

C2 In Orwell's novel '1984', the memory-hole was used to destroy any information that went against the Party's narrative.

Examples of memory-hole in a Sentence

formal The government official ordered all documents related to the scandal to be thrown into the memory-hole.

informal I accidentally threw my keys into the memory-hole and now I can't find them anywhere.

slang I heard that company likes to memory-hole any negative reviews about their products.

figurative Sometimes I feel like my brain has a memory-hole for all the embarrassing moments I'd rather forget.

Grammatical Forms of memory-hole

• past tense: memory-holed
• plural: memory-holes
• comparative: more memory-holed
• superlative: most memory-holed
• present tense: memory-holes
• future tense: will memory-hole
• perfect tense: has memory-holed
• continuous tense: is memory-holing
• singular: memory-hole
• positive degree: memory-hole
• infinitive: to memory-hole
• gerund: memory-holing
• participle: memory-holed

Origin and Evolution of memory-hole

First Known Use: 1949 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The term 'memory-hole' was coined by George Orwell in his novel 1984, published in 1949. In the book, a memory-hole is a chute leading to a furnace used to destroy any document or record that Big Brother deems inconvenient or undesirable.

Evolution of the word: Since its first use in 1984, the term 'memory-hole' has become synonymous with the act of suppressing or erasing information, particularly in a political context. It is often used to describe the intentional manipulation or censorship of historical facts or records.