# row (0-row.us)

A row is a straight line of things side by side. People sit in a row at a concert, or plant corn in rows. It is also a noisy fight, as in "they had a row."

## What a model may hear
- database record (SQL and data tables): treat the word as a horizontal record in a table, with columns of data
- matrix element (linear algebra and math): refer to a horizontal vector or set of numbers in a grid
- grid position (spreadsheets and CSV files): identify a numbered horizontal line of cells
- data frame index (Python pandas and R): select, filter, or iterate over observations by row
- memory layout (computer graphics and arrays): assume row-major order for storing multi-dimensional data

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "add a row"
  Means: put another thing in the line
  May be taken as: insert a blank database record or spreadsheet line
  Say instead: "add another item to the list"
- Says: "the third row"
  Means: the third line of seats or items
  May be taken as: index into a zero-based array and pick item number two
  Say instead: "the third item from the top, counting one as the first"
- Says: "delete the row"
  Means: remove that line of things
  May be taken as: drop a database record permanently without confirmation
  Say instead: "remove that entry from the table"
- Says: "we had a row"
  Means: we argued loudly
  May be taken as: parse as a data operation or fail to understand the emotional context
  Say instead: "we had an argument"

## Tips
- Say 'record' or 'entry' if you mean a database row.
- Say 'line' or 'item' if you mean a simple list.
- Specify 'spreadsheet row' or 'table row' to avoid matrix confusion.
- Use 'argument' or 'fight' to avoid the homograph entirely.
- With data, say 'horizontal line' if you need to distinguish from columns.

## Often confused with
- column: vertical, not horizontal
- record: a row is one view of it
- line: less structured, no grid implied
- array: any ordered set, not necessarily flat
- tuple: fixed size, often from databases
- rank: a row in a matrix, rarely used elsewhere