Main Entry: da·ta

Pronunciation: \ˈdāt-ə, ˈdat-, ˈdät-\

Function: noun plural but singular or plural in construction

: factual information (as measurements or statistics) used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation <the data is plentiful and easily available—H. A. Gleason, Jr.> <comprehensive data on the incidence of Lyme disease>