ˈdeɪtə n.pl. (also treated as
sing., as in
that is
all the data we
have,
although the
singular form is
strictly datum) 1
known facts or things used as a
basis for inference or
reckoning. 2 quantities or characters operated on by a
computer etc. ødata bank 1 a
store or
source of data. 2 =
DATABASE. data
capture the
action or process of entering data
into a computer. data processing a
series of operations on data,
esp. by a computer, to
retrieve or
classify etc.
information. data
processor a
machine, esp. a computer, that carries
out data processing. data
protection legal control over access to data stored in computers. [pl. of DATUM]