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. data 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 ]