Definition
A single named piece of information stored within a record in a computer database, holding one specific category of data such as a frequency, identifier, altitude, or coordinate.
Plain English
One slot in a database that holds one specific piece of information. For example, in a record about an airport, one field might hold the airport's name, another might hold its elevation, and another might hold its runway length.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of navigation databases, aircraft displays, flight planning systems, and electronic airport information.
Derivation
From 'database' (an organized collection of stored information) and 'field' (in computing, a designated space for one item of data). The term 'field' was borrowed from punch-card and form-filling usage, where each labeled space on a form held one specific entry.
Why Pilots Care
Modern cockpit avionics rely on database fields for everything from approach minimums to runway lengths. If a field contains outdated or incorrect data, it can affect navigation accuracy and flight planning, which is why database currency checks are part of preflight procedures.
Analogy
A database field is like one blank on a form. The form may describe an airport, but each blank holds just one item, such as the airport name or runway length.
Intuition Check
Do not read field here as an airport or landing area. In database field, it means one labeled place where one piece of electronic information is stored.
Example Sentence 1
When the GPS database was updated, the frequency field for the new VOR was automatically populated with the correct value.
Example Sentence 2
Updating the database field for maintenance dates ensures accurate records.