datum

American  

[dey-tuhm, dat-uhm, dah-tuhm] / ˈdeɪ təm, ˈdæt əm, ˈdɑ təm /

noun

plural

data, datums

1. a single piece of information, as a fact, statistic, or code; an item of data.

2. Philosophy.

   1. any fact assumed to be a matter of direct observation.

   2. any proposition assumed or given, from which conclusions may be drawn.

3. Also called sense datum.  Epistemology. the object of knowledge as presented to the mind.

4. Surveying, Civil Engineering. any level surface, line, or point used as a reference in measuring elevations.

5. Surveying. a basis for horizontal control surveys, consisting of the longitude and latitude of a certain point, the azimuth of a certain line from this point, and two constants used in defining the terrestrial spheroid.

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datum British  

/ ˈdeɪtəm, ˈdɑːtəm /

noun

1. a single piece of information; fact

2. a proposition taken for granted, often in order to construct some theoretical framework upon it; a given See also sense datum

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Usage

See data.

Etymology

Origin of datum

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin: “a thing given,” neuter past participle of dare “to give”

Example Sentences

Much of it hinges on something decidedly low tech: the ability to build data centers as fast as humanly possible—and all the dealmaking, zoning and permitting that it entails.

From The Wall Street Journal

Here’s how to declutter personal data, shrink file sizes and ditch the cloud entirely.

From The Wall Street Journal

The authors note several limitations, including a relatively small number of long term human studies, differences in study design and intake levels, and limited data in newer research areas.

From Science Daily

There’s also the nuclear option: Ditch the cloud and back up your data to a local drive.

From The Wall Street Journal

California has a number of laws aimed at protecting children’s data privacy, but those laws have exceptions that allow many tech companies to continue packaging and selling students’ personal information.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accomplishment
• action
• case
• circumstance
• data
• evidence
• experience
• factor
• incident
• information
• performance
• phenomenon
• statistic