database

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Etymology

From data + base.

Pronunciation

• (British, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, America) IPA: /ˈdeɪtəˌbeɪs/
• (America) IPA: /ˈdætəˌbeɪs/
• (Ireland) IPA: /ˈdæːtəˌbeːs/
• (British, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa) IPA: /ˈdɑːtəˌbeɪs/

Noun

database (plural databases)

1. (general) A collection of (usually) organized information in a regular structure, usually but not necessarily in a machine-readable format accessible by a computer.

   I have a database of all my contacts in my personal organizer.

2. (computing) A set of tables and other objects (queries, reports, forms) in the form of a structured data set.

   The "books" database will have three tables, and the "customers" database will have two tables.

3. (computing, loosely, metonymically) A software program (application) for storing, retrieving and manipulating such a structured data set.

   Which database do you use: MySQL or Oracle?

4. (computing, loosely, metonymically) A combination of such data sets and the programs for using them.

Synonyms

• (computer software) DB

Synonyms

• (collection of organized information) data set, dataset, databank
• (computer software) database management system

Translations

• French: base de données
• German: Datenbank
• Italian: database, base di dati, banca dati, archivio
• Portuguese: banco de dados, base de dados
• Russian: ба́за да́нных
• Spanish: base de datos, banco de datos

Translations

• French: base de données (official term), database (deprecated term)
• German: Datenbank
• Italian: database, base di dati
• Portuguese: banco de dados (Brazil), base de dados (Portugal)
• Russian: ба́за да́нных
• Spanish: base de datos

Verb

database (databases, present participle databasing; simple past and past participle databased)

1. To enter data into a database.

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