"Average seek time" is a technical term that refers to the time it takes for a computer's read/write head to move from one part of a hard drive to another. There are several synonyms for this term, depending on the context. In some cases, it may be called "average access time," "mean latency," or "mean seek time." Other similar terms include "disk latency," "delay time," and "response time." Each of these terms refers to the same basic function, although they may be used in slightly different ways by different computer systems or applications. Regardless of the terminology used, this measurement is an important factor in determining hard drive performance and efficiency.