Definition

1. Noun:
   • Data about data: Information that describes, explains, locates, or otherwise makes it easier to retrieve, use, or manage other data. It provides context and structure.

Usage

• Metadata is a non-count noun. It is treated as a singular concept, though it refers to a collection of descriptive elements.
• It is commonly used in fields like computing, library science, and digital asset management to describe the properties of a primary data source.

Examples

• The metadata for a digital photograph includes the date it was taken, the camera model, and the file size.
• Effective metadata management is crucial for organizing large databases.
• Researchers rely on the metadata to understand the context and source of the archived documents.

Advanced Usage

• "Embedded metadata": Descriptive information stored within the file it describes.
  • The embedded metadata in the PDF file contained the author's name and creation date.
• "Metadata schema": A structured framework that defines the types and rules for metadata.
  • The project uses the Dublin Core metadata schema for cataloging resources.

Variants and Related Words

• Metainformation (n): A less common synonym for metadata.
• Descriptive data (n): A general phrase similar in meaning to metadata.

Synonyms

• Data about data: The core definition.
• Descriptive information: Information that describes other data.
• Tag data: Information used for labeling or categorization (common in digital contexts).

Related Phrases

• "Metadata standard": An agreed-upon set of rules for creating metadata.
  • Compliance with a metadata standard ensures interoperability between systems.
• "To harvest metadata": To automatically collect metadata from various sources.
  • The search engine bots harvest metadata from websites to improve search results.

Related Idioms

• • When asked what metadata is, she explained it simply as "the data about the data."

Noun

1. data about data
   • a library catalog is metadata because it describes publications