# database

Pronunciation: say "DAY-tuh-bays" /ˈdeɪtəˌbeɪs/

## Noun

1. A collection of organized information in a regular structure, usually stored in a machine-readable format that a computer can access.
   - Simple: An organized group of facts or records, often stored on a computer so it is easy to find.
   - _Researchers built a database to track migratory bird sightings across the country._
   - _The clinic's databases store patient histories going back two decades._
2. A set of tables and related objects (queries, reports, and forms) organized as a single structured collection of data.
   - Simple: A set of linked tables, along with reports and forms, that hold data in an organized way.
   - _The developer designed the database with separate tables for customers, products, and invoices._
   - _Their reporting database pulls information from several linked tables into one dashboard._
3. A software application for storing, retrieving, and manipulating a structured set of data.
   - Simple: A computer program used to store, find, and change organized sets of data.
   - _The team chose an open-source database to power their web application._
   - _Modern databases can process millions of queries per second._
4. A combination of structured data sets together with the programs used to work with them.
   - Simple: A complete setup that combines stored data with the programs used to work with it.
   - _The company migrated its complete database to a cloud platform last year._
   - _Maintaining these databases requires both the stored records and the applications that read them._

## Verb

5. To enter data into a database so that it is stored in structured form.
   - Simple: To enter information into a computer database for storage.
   - _Staff database each shipment as soon as it arrives at the warehouse._
   - _Once the survey closed, analysts databased thousands of responses for review._

## Origin

A compound formed from "data" and "base".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/database (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).