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Data vs Signal - What's the difference?

data | signal |

As nouns the difference between data and signal

is that data is (time) date while signal is signal.

data

English

Alternative forms

* (electronics)

Noun

(wikipedia data) (-) or plural noun
  • English plurals: Pieces of information.
  • (uncountable, collectively) Information, especially in a scientific or computational context.
  • *
    • With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-22, volume=407, issue=8841, page=76, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= Snakes and ladders , passage=Risk is everywhere.
  • (computing) A representation of facts or ideas in a formalized manner capable of being communicated or manipulated by some process.

    • Usage notes

    * This word is more often used as an uncountable noun with a singular verb than as a plural noun with singular datum. * The definition of data'' in the computing context is from an international standard vocabulary] and is meant to distinguish ''data'' from ''information . However, this distinction is largely ignored by the computing profession.[http://eprints.utas.edu.au/1957/1/Cm1My.pdf

    Derived terms

    * big data * databank * database * datasheet * data acquisition * data analysis * data domain * data element * data entry * data farming * data hiding * data integrity * data maintenance * data management * data mining * data modeling * data path, datapath * data processing * data recovery * data set * data sink * data source * data warehouse * metadata * primary data * raw data

    References

    * (The American Heritage Dictionary's usage note on 'data') * Calpundit: YOU SAY DAY-TA, I SAY DAA-TA * John Quiggin: Data is not the plural of datum * johnaugust.com: ‘Data’ is singular

    Anagrams

    * English disputed terms English words affected by prescriptivism ----

    signal

    English

    (wikipedia signal)

    Alternative forms

    * signall

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A sign made to give notice of some occurrence, command, or danger, or to indicate the start of a concerted action.
  • * Milton
    • All obeyed / The wonted signal and superior voice / Of this great potentate.
  • An on-off light, semaphore, or other device used to give an indication to another person.
  • (of a radio, TV, telephone, internet, etc) An electrical or electromagnetic action, normally a voltage that is a function of time that conveys the information of the radio or TV program or of communication with another party.
    • My mobile phone can't get a signal in the railway station.
  • A token; an indication; a foreshadowing; a sign.
  • * Shakespeare
    • The weary sun / Gives signal of a goodly day to-morrow.
  • * De Foe
    • There was not the least signal of the calamity to be seen.
  • Useful information, as opposed to noise.
  • (computing, Unix) A simple interprocess communication used to notify a process or thread of an occurrence.

    • Antonyms

    * (useful information) noise

    Derived terms

    * signal box * signalman * signalwoman * smoke signal

    See also

    * tocsin

    Verb

  • To indicate.

    • Adjective

    (-)
  • Standing above others in rank, importance, or achievement.
    • a signal''' exploit; a '''signal''' service; a '''signal act of benevolence
  • * Milton
    • As signal now in low, dejected state / As erst in highest, behold him where he lies.

    Related terms

    * (adjective)

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words ----