record

plural records

1. An item of information put into a temporary or permanent physical medium.

   The person had a record of the interview so she could review her notes.

   2 more examples

   The tourist's photographs and the tape of the police call provide a record of the crime.

   He draws eclectically on studies of baboons, descriptive anthropological accounts of hunter-gatherer societies and, in a few cases, the fossil record.

   2012 March-April, John T. Jost, “Social Justice: Is It in Our Nature (and Our Future)?”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 13 Feb 2012, page 162

2. Any instance of a physical medium on which information was put for the purpose of preserving it and making it available for future reference.

   My remarks were struck from the record.

   1 more example

   We have no record of you making this payment to us.

   Synonyms: log

3. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of phonograph record (“a disc, usually made from vinyl, on which sound is recorded and may be replayed on a phonograph”).

   I still like records better than CDs.

   1 more example

   He's the record doctor / Tell him your woes / He'll reach in his bag / And he'll give you a dose

   2012, “Record Doctor”, performed by Saint Etienne

   Synonyms: disc, phonograph record, vinyl

   1. broadlyinformalA music album; broadly, any music released as a single, EP, etc.

      Synonyms: disc, phonograph record, vinyl

4. computingA set of data relating to a single individual or item.

   Pull up the record on John Smith. What's his medical history?

5. computerA data structure similar to a struct, in some programming languages such as C and Java based on classes and designed for storing immutable data.

   A record is a special kind of class that's designed to work well with immutable (readonly) data.

   2021, Joseph Albahari, C# 9.0 in a Nutshell, O'Reilly Media, →ISBN, page 210

   2 more examples

   This chapter examines another data structure, the record (available in Pascal but not in all other high-level languages). Records make it easier to organize and represent information in Pascal, a major reason for the popularity of the Pascal[…]

   1989, Elliot B. Koffman, Pascal: Problem Solving and Program Design, Addison-Wesley, →ISBN, page 406

   The new record type provides another solution. A record is a class-like construct for data classes, a restricted form of class like enums and annotations.

   2020, Ian F. Darwin, Java Cookbook, O'Reilly Media, →ISBN, page 232

6. The most extreme known value of some variable, particularly that of an achievement in competitive events.

   The heat and humidity were both new records.

   4 more examples

   Australia set a record of 10 back-to-back T20I wins.

   He broke the record for the youngest English captain.

   The team set a new record for most points scored in a game.

   "Avanti has literally broken records over the last six months for delays and cancellations, and the Conservatives' answer is to reward failure with millions more in taxpayer cash," said Labour Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh.

   2023 April 5, “Network News: Conservatives accused of "rewarding Avanti's failure"”, in RAIL, number 980, page 6

1. attributivenot comparableEnough to break previous records and set a new one; world-class; historic.

   "But it's far worse for me," said Edmund, "because you'll at least have a room of your own and I shall have to share a bedroom with that record stinker, Eustace."

   1952, C. S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

   Synonyms: record-breaking, record-setting

present singular third person records · participle present recording · participle past recorded · past recorded

1. transitiveTo make a record of information.

   I wanted to record every detail of what happened, for the benefit of future generations.

   1 more example

   The display and result must be placed in the context that was it was against a side that looked every bit their Fifa world ranking of 141 - but England completed the job with efficiency to record their biggest away win in 19 years.

   2012 September 7, Phil McNulty, “Moldova 0-5 England”, in BBC Sport

2. transitiveTo make an audio or video recording of.

   Within a week they had recorded both the song and the video for it.

   1 more example

   However, the ability to record people without their knowledge, with the stroke of a finger over the spectacle frame or a voice command, has prompted privacy concerns.

   2014 June 29, Adam Sherwin, “UK cinemas ban Google glasses over piracy risk”, in The Independent

   Synonyms: catch

3. transitivelawTo give legal status to by making an official public record.

   When the deed was recorded, we officially owned the house.

4. intransitiveTo fix in a medium, usually in a tangible medium.
5. intransitiveTo make an audio, video, or multimedia recording.
6. intransitiveobsoletetransitiveTo repeat; to practice.
7. ambitransitiveobsoleteTo sing or repeat a tune.

   1595, George Peele, The Old Wives’ Tale, The Malone Society Reprints, 1908, lines 741-742, Come Berecynthia, let vs in likewise, And heare the Nightingale record hir notes.

   3 more examples

   They long’d to see the day, to heare the larke Record her hymnes and chant her carols blest,

   1600, Torquato Tasso, translated by Edward Fairfax, Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem, London: I. Iaggard and M. Lownes, Book 2, p. 39

   […] to the lute She sung, and made the night-bird mute, That still records with moan;

   c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: […] [William White and Thomas Creede] for Henry Gosson, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act IV, prologue]

   […] the Nymph did earnestly contest Whether the Birds or she recorded best […]

   1616, William Browne, Britannia’s Pastorals, London: John Haviland, published 1625, Book 2, Song 4, p. 129

8. obsoleteTo reflect; to ponder.

   […] he was […] carried to the Scaffold on the Tower-hill […], himself praying all the way, and recording upon the words which he before had read.

   1655, Thomas Fuller, “Section 3”, in The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI), page 204

plural Records

1. A surname.