An element of a search or query. A search term is the basic building block of a boolean search or a weighted search. In a search engine a search term is typically a word, phrase, or pattern match expression. For example: cosmonaut or "space travel" or astronaut* In a database a term is typically the comparison of a column with a constant or with another column. For example: last_name like ' Smith%' (1999-08-27)
