Software that lets you enter information into one big, structured file so that it can then be searched. For example, a database could contain all your contact names and addresses or your customer details or your record collection. Each separate entry is called a record and each individual part of a record is called a field. For example, if you have a database of names and addresses, my details would be stored on one record, with my first name in one field and surname in another. (See also Relational Database.)