access time: Meaning and Definition of

ac'cess time"

Pronunciation: [key]
— Computers. Computers.
  1. the elapsed time from the instant that information is called from a storage unit to the instant it is received.
  2. the elapsed time from the instant that information is ready for storage to the instant it is stored. Cf. word time.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.