sync

( /sink/, vi.)

   (var.: synch)

   1. To synchronize, to bring into synchronization.

   2.  [techspeak]  To  force  all pending I/O to the disk; see {flush},
   sense 2.

   3. More generally, to force a number of competing processes or agents
   to a state that would be `safe' if the system were to crash; thus, to
   checkpoint (in the database-theory sense).

[glossary]