jargon To transfer data or (especially) code from one
computer to another. The distinction between downloading and
uploading is hazy but downloading often refers to transfer
from a larger "host" system (especially a
server or
mainframe) to a smaller "client" system, especially a
However, note that ground-to-space communications has its own
usage rule for this term. Space-to-earth transmission is
always "down" and the reverse "up" regardless of the relative
size of the computers involved. So far the in-space machines
have invariably been smaller; thus the upload/download
distinction has been reversed from its usual sense.
(1994-12-07)