linkingvariable
nounUK /ˈlɪŋkɪŋ ˈveəriəbl/
US /ˈlɪŋkɪŋ ˈveriəbl/
A linking variable is something you use to connect two things together.
The teacher used a linking variable to join the two lists in the computer program.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In statistics, a variable that connects or mediates the relationship between two other variables.
Researchers treated stress as a linking variable between sleep and test scores.
3. In programming, a variable that holds a reference used to join data or records.
The linking variable stored the ID that matched customers to their orders.
4. A shared value used to tie separate systems or datasets together.
The account number acted as a linking variable between the two databases.