(computer science) the interval between the time data is requested by the system and the time the data is provided by the drive WordNet 3.0 & Open English WordNet

Access time is the time delay or latency between a request to an electronic system, and the access being completed or the requested data returned In a computer, it is the time interval between the instant at which an instruction control unit initiates a call for data or a request to store data, and the instant at which delivery of the data is completed or the storage is started. Wikipedia

The time interval between the issuing of a request to read data from or write data to a storage device and the completion of this action. Wiktionary