Bucket cake

On this Bucket cake the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In computing, the term bucket can have several meanings.

It is used both as a live metaphor, and as a generally accepted technical term in some specialised areas. Various usages relate to different features. There is no usage that is consistent with every one of these features. The contents of a bucket are unsorted. A bucket has a fixed size, which is determined when it is created.

A bucket has a limited number of states: It may be empty. Some usages further distinguish: It may be partly full. Some usages further distinguish: It may be exactly full. This is a humorous but common phrase. Something goes into the bit bucket when it is deleted, generally irreversibly and quite often wrongly, such as files or emails that just disappear.