datum

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   one item of factual information used for measurement or reasoning

   One faulty datum changed the result of the calculation.

2. 2
   noun

   a fixed reference point, line, or surface used for measurement

   The survey used sea level as its datum.

Borrowed from Latin datum, meaning 'something given', from datus, past participle of dare, 'to give'.

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