datum

Learned borrowing from Latin datum, a nominalization of datus, perfect passive participle of dō, from Proto-Italic *didō, from Proto-Indo-European *dédeh₃ti, reduplication of *deh₃-, or from *-ti. Doublet of die.

• IPA^(key): /ˈdeɪtəm/, /ˈdætəm/, /ˈdɑːtəm/ (see data for regional distribution)

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -eɪtəm, -ætəm, -ɑːtəm

datum (plural (sense 1 and 2) data or (senses 3 and 4) datums)

1. Something known or assumed as fact, and is made the basis of reasoning or inference which an intellectual system of any sort (such as knowledge or theoretical framework) is constructed.

   a datum of experience

   given this datum, it follows that

3. Singular of data: A single recorded phenomenon, especially obtained by scientific work.

   Synonym: data point

   Holonym: data set

4. (cartography, surveying, engineering, manufacturing) A point, line, plane, or surface with reference to which positions (such as elevations) are measured or indicated. (Examples include a permanent benchmark in leveling or mean sea level in a topographical survey).

   A geodetic datum is sometimes also called a benchmark.

   GD&T tells us that the center of a bolt circle is in fact defined by the locations of the holes themselves, as each is a datum.

   • 2000, Nuno Sergio Marques Antunes, “The Importance of the Tidal Datum in the Definition of Maritime Limits and Boundaries”, in Maritime Briefing, volume 2, number 7, International Boundaries Research Unit, University of Durham, page 5:

     In a strict sense, a tidal datum can be understood as the reference plane (or surface) to which the height of a predicted tide is referred. […] Sounding and chart datums are low water datums, that is, they refer to the level of the water surface at low tide. Nonetheless, there are also datums based on high water levels. […] These two different datums may be included in the broader category of vertical datums, which comprises any plane or surface used as a reference to measure vertical distances (such as depths, drying features, heights on shore, etc.).

   • 2007, Roger F Tomlinson, Thinking about GIS: geographic information system planning for managers:

     Datums are another important map aspect related to projection. A datum provides a base reference for measuring locations on Earth's surface.

   • 2012, Yong-Qi Chen, Yuk-Cheung Lee, chapter 2.3, in Geographical Data Acquisition:

     For horizontal measurements [on the Earth], we fix a mathematical body of Earth in space using a Cartesian coordinate system. After that, a separate coordinate system is created over the surface of this body to generate horizontal coordinates. A mathematical earth body fixed in space makes up the horizontal datum.

5. (nautical) A floating reference point, or SLDMB, used to evaluate surface currents in a body of water, and often employed by coastal search and rescue.

See data § Usage notes.

datum (third-person singular simple present datums, present participle datuming, simple past and past participle datumed)

1. To provide missing data points by using a mathematical model to extrapolate values that are outside the range of a measuring device.
   • 1982, Paul M. Tucker, Pitfalls Revisited - Issue 3, →ISBN, page 6:

     Removing the effects of any period of deformation by datuming or flattening selective reflection horizons should restore the structure prior to the datumed horizon, or the amount of deformation above the datumed horizon.

   • 1998, Stuart Fagin, Model-based Depth Imaging, →ISBN, page 164:

     On the left the stacking velocity functions are datumed to sea level and show great disparity.

   • 2014, Hua-Wei Zhou -, Practical Seismic Data Analysis, →ISBN, page 62:

     On the other hand, if we have a sufficiently accurate near-surface velocity model, we may apply wavefield datuming to convert the raw data into new data as if they were recorded along a datum below the near surface (Box 2.3).

• data, information
• die, dice

• “datum, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
• Philip Babcock Gove et al., editors (1961), “material n”, in Webster's Third New International Dictionary  […], volume I (A to G), published 1981, →ISBN, page 577
• “datum”, in Collins English Dictionary, 2011–present.

Borrowed from Latin datum (“a given”).

• IPA^(key): [ˈdatum]

  • Audio:

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• Hyphenation: da‧tum

datum n

1. date (point in time)

• “datum”, in Lingea (in Czech), 2025
• “datum”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “datum”, in Akademický slovník současné češtiny, 2012–2026, slovnikcestiny.cz

From Middle Dutch datum, from Latin datum (“given”, past participle) (from the practice of signing letters in Latin by noting the date on which they were dispatched). Compare English date.

• IPA^(key): /ˈdaːtʏm/

• Audio:

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• Hyphenation: da‧tum

datum m (plural datums or data, diminutive datumpje n)

1. date (point in time)

Datum is one of the few Dutch words ending on -um that does not have a neutral gender.

• geboortedatum
• overlijdensdatum
• trouwdatum

• Negerhollands: datum
• → Caribbean Javanese: dhatem

datum n (plural data, diminutive datumpje n)

1. datum (piece of information)

   Synonym: gegeven

From Dutch datum, from Middle Dutch datum, from Latin datum (“given”, past participle).

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈdatum/ [ˈda.t̪ʊm]
• Rhymes: -atum
• Syllabification: da‧tum

datum (plural datum-datum)

1. (obsolete) synonym of tanggal (“date, day and month”)
2. (cartography, engineering) a fixed reference point, or a coordinate system

datum (plural datum-datum or data)

1. a single information

• “datum”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Nominalization of datus.

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈda.tũː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈdaː.tum]

datum n (genitive datī); second declension

1. gift, present

   Synonyms: pretium, dōnum, praemium, datiō, oblātiō

   • c. 209 BCE, Plautus, Asinaria 1.1.40:

     Quia non suppetunt dictis data.

     Because his gifts do not match his words.

Second-declension noun (neuter).

• datus

datum

1. accusative supine of dō

datum

1. inflection of datus:
   1. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular
   2. accusative masculine singular

• "datum", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “datum”, in The Perseus Project (1999), Perseus Encyclopedia‎^[1]
• “datum”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “datum”, in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly

datum

1. vocative singular of datums

From Latin datum. Doublet of dato.

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɑː.tʉm/

datum n (definite singular datumet, indefinite plural datum, definite plural datuma)

1. (dated) a date (specific day in time)
2. a fact

• datere

• “datum” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

From Latin datum.

• IPA^(key): /dǎːtum/
• Hyphenation: da‧tum

dátum m inan (Cyrillic spelling да́тум)

1. date (as in day, month, and year)

• “datum”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026

• IPA^(key): /dàːtum/, /dáːtum/

dātum m inan

1. date (point of time)

The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.

Masculine inan., hard o-stem
nom. sing.	dátum
gen. sing.	dátuma
	singular	dual	plural
nominative (imenovȃlnik)	dátum	dátuma	dátumi
genitive (rodȋlnik)	dátuma	dátumov	dátumov
dative (dajȃlnik)	dátumu	dátumoma	dátumom
accusative (tožȋlnik)	dátum	dátuma	dátume
locative (mẹ̑stnik)	dátumu	dátumih	dátumih
instrumental (orọ̑dnik)	dátumom	dátumoma	dátumi

From Latin datum (“given”, past participle).

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datum n

1. date; (day, month and year)

• The now very uncommon (or obsolete) declension datot-data was used in 1958.

• datumlinjen
• datera
• bäst-före-datum

• mutad