30 Input/output library [input.output]

30.10 File systems [filesystems]

30.10.4 Terms and definitions [fs.definitions]

30.10.4.7 hard link [fs.def.hardlink]

A link ([fs.def.link]) to an existing file.
Some file systems support multiple hard links to a file.
If the last hard link to a file is removed, the file itself is removed.
[Note
:
A hard link can be thought of as a shared-ownership smart pointer to a file.
end note
]