dataset
UK[ˈdeɪtəset]US[ˈdeɪt̬əset]
n
A collection of related sets of information that is composed of separate elements but can be manipulated as a unit by a computer.
Morpheme Breakdown
data
set
data
information
set
collection
Etymology
The word 'dataset' is a modern compound formed in the mid-20th century from two pre-existing English words. 'Data' is the plural of the Latin 'datum', meaning "something given," which evolved to signify facts and statistics collected for reference or analysis. 'Set' originates from Old English, denoting a group of things belonging together. The compound logically fuses these concepts: a 'dataset' is literally a "given collection," a structured group of information items treated as a single unit for computational processing, reflecting the digital age's need to organize raw facts into manipulable systems.
Analysis
Structure: data (information) + set (collection)
- data: Origin: Latin (datum, "something given"). Role: Root noun, the core substance or information.
- set: Origin: Old English (sett, "a collection of things"). Role: Root noun, indicating a grouped or organized collection.
Examples
The research team compiled a comprehensive dataset from the survey results.
This machine learning model requires a large, labeled dataset for training.
You can download the dataset from the government's open data portal.