descriptor
descriptor — noun
1. A term or short phrase that identifies a particular quality, feature, or categor
A term or short phrase that identifies a particular quality, feature, or category of someone or something.
The job advertisement listed 'flexible' and 'dynamic' as key descriptors for the ideal candidate.
key descriptor + for + [role/candidate]
Chidi squinted at the strange colour of the sky, hunting for a suitable descriptor.
Police asked witnesses to provide a descriptor of the suspicious vehicle they had spotted.
In wine tasting, people rely on familiar descriptors such as 'oaky' or 'fruity'.
'Sustainable' has become one of the most overused descriptors in modern advertising.
- label
more fixed than descriptor; often implies a category assigned to a person or product
- tag
more informal and temporary than descriptor; often used in digital contexts
- identifier
focuses on distinguishing one item from others, while descriptor highlights a quality
- term
broader than descriptor; any word or expression with a specific meaning in a field
常見錯誤
2. An official written summary of the topics, learning objectives, and requirements
An official written summary of the topics, learning objectives, and requirements that a particular educational course or programme covers.
Salma read the course descriptor carefully before deciding to enrol in the programme.
course descriptor + before + [decision]
The university updated the descriptor for the history module to include new seminar topics.
Each descriptor in the course catalogue lists the number of contact hours and assessment methods.
Joon compared the descriptors of three data science programmes before making his choice.
The department head approved the new descriptor for the postgraduate research course.
- syllabus
more specific to a term-by-term outline of topics and readings; descriptor is a broader summary
- course outline
interchangeable in many educational contexts, but descriptor is the official term used in academic records
- programme overview
typically refers to a whole degree rather than a single course
用法筆記
Frequently found in university prospectuses, course catalogues, and academic programme websites.
3. A small piece of data, such as a tag, code, or attribute, attached to a digital
A small piece of data, such as a tag, code, or attribute, attached to a digital file or set of information to identify its type, structure, or purpose.
The image file contains a descriptor recording the camera model and shutter speed at capture.
file contains a descriptor [verb]ing [metadata]
Aarav wrote a script to extract the metadata descriptor from each document in the database.
The system assigns a unique numeric descriptor to every transaction stored in the log.
When you save a web page, the browser adds a file descriptor stating the content type.
The error log included a descriptor showing which line of code caused the crash.
- metadata tag
a type of descriptor that is specifically embedded in a file's metadata
- identifier
focuses on unique identification; a descriptor may also describe qualities, not just identity
- attribute
a property of a data item; descriptor often refers to a label that names that property
- marker
less formal; marks a position or status rather than describing structure
用法筆記
Common in computing and information science when referring to file systems, databases, and metadata standards. Also appears in data science contexts (e.g., feature descriptor in machine learning).