memory leak n.
An error in a program's dynamic-store allocation logic that
causes it to fail to reclaim discarded memory, leading to
eventual collapse due to memory exhaustion. Also (esp. at CMU)
called core leak. These
problems were severe on older machines with small, fixed-size
address spaces, and special "leak detection" tools were commonly
written to root them out. With the advent of virtual memory, it
is unfortunately easier to be sloppy about wasting a bit of
memory (although when you run out of memory on a VM machine, it
means you've got a real leak!). See aliasing bug, fandango on core, smash the stack, precedence lossage, overrun screw, leaky heap, leak.