Data Structures Vocabulary

noun an untidy collection of things piled up haphazardly

verb to put or throw in a heap

• The workers piled a heap of documents on the desk for sorting.
• I have a heap of laundry to do this weekend.
• She's got a heap of cash saved up for her trip.
• The project manager felt like a heap of stress had been lifted off his shoulders after the successful completion of the task.

adjective relating to or characteristic of a hierarchy; hierarchical

• The organization has a strict hierarchic structure in place.
• The company follows a hierarchic system for decision-making.
• I don't like how hierarchic this group project is turning out to be.
• In nature, the lion pride operates in a hierarchic manner with the alpha male leading the pack.

adjective not consistent or regular in shape or pattern; uneven or variable

• The nonuniform distribution of resources among the population led to social unrest.
• The nonuniform sizing of these shoes is really annoying.
• I hate how nonuniform the rules are around here.
• Her emotions were nonuniform, fluctuating between anger and sadness.

noun a computer programming term that refers to accessing the value stored at a memory address

verb to obtain the value stored at a specific memory address in computer programming

• In computer programming, dereference is the process of accessing the value referred to by a pointer.
• When you dereference a pointer, you're basically getting the actual value it points to.
• Dereferencing a pointer is like getting to the juicy stuff inside.
• Dereferencing can be compared to opening a present to reveal what's inside.

verb Hashing is a verb that refers to the process of converting input data into a fixed-size string of characters using a mathematical algorithm.

• Hashing is a common technique used in computer science to securely store and retrieve data.
• I heard hashing is a way to keep passwords safe from hackers.
• I'm hashing out the details of the project with my team.
• In life, hashing out your priorities can lead to a more organized and fulfilling existence.