lookup

Thân thiện

The librarian performs a quick lookup in the catalog.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An operation that determines whether one or more of a set of items has a specified property: A "lookup" is the act or process of searching for and retrieving specific information from a structured collection of data, such as a list, table, or database.

Usage

• The word "lookup" is primarily used as a noun in technical and computing contexts to describe a search operation.
• It is often used with verbs like "perform," "do," or "execute" to describe the action of searching.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The software performs a fast lookup to find the customer's record.
  • Doing a dictionary lookup is a common task for language learners.
  • The reference context states: "they wrote a program to do a table lookup."

Advanced Usage

• "Lookup time": Refers to the duration or speed required to find an item in a data structure.
  • The hash table offers constant-time lookup for most operations.
• "Lookup table": A data structure, typically an array or matrix, used to pre-compute and store values for quick retrieval, avoiding complex calculations at runtime.
  • The color values were stored in a lookup table for efficient rendering.

Variants and Related Words

• Look up (phrasal verb): To search for information, especially in a reference book or database. This is the verbal form from which the noun "lookup" is derived.
  • Please look up the definition of this word in the dictionary.
• Lookup key / Lookup value: The specific piece of data (the key) used to search for associated information (the value) in a dataset.
  • The user's ID serves as the lookup key to access their profile.

Synonyms

• Search (n): The act of looking for something.
• Retrieval (n): The process of getting something back, especially information from a computer system.
• Query (n): A question or request for data, especially one submitted to a database.

Phrasal Verbs Related

• Look up (to): This is a different phrasal verb meaning to admire or respect someone.
  • I really look up to my former teacher. (This is distinct from the information retrieval meaning of "look up").

Học thuật

Noun

1. an operation that determines whether one or more of a set of items has a specified property
   • they wrote a program to do a table lookup

Từ đồng nghĩa

• search