"varchar" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "From the data type name, a shortening of variable character.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "varchars",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "varchar (plural varchars)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Computing",
          "orig": "en:Computing",
          "parents": [
            "Technology",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Databases",
          "orig": "en:Databases",
          "parents": [
            "Computing",
            "Technology",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1999, David K. Rensin, Andrew M. Fedorchek, William C. Amo, Microsoft SQL Server 7 secrets:",
          "text": "Be aware that varchars will in general provide slower updates but faster selects. By definition, the amount of storage they use is variable.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, Eric Johnson, Joshua Jones, A Developer's Guide to Data Modeling for SQL Server:",
          "text": "With a varchar, the storage is always the actual number of characters you have stored plus 2 bytes. So a varchar(20) with a 5-character word will take up 7 bytes, with the extra 2 bytes holding a size reference for SQL Server.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A text field of indeterminate length in a database, as opposed to the traditional fixed-length field."
      ],
      "id": "en-varchar-en-noun-vwlZCxWo",
      "links": [
        [
          "computing",
          "computing#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "database",
          "database"
        ],
        [
          "field",
          "field"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(computing, databases) A text field of indeterminate length in a database, as opposed to the traditional fixed-length field."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computing",
        "databases",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "sciences"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "varchar"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈvɑːt͡ʃɑː/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈvɑɹt͡ʃɑɹ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈvɛ(ə)ɹkɛ(ə)ɹ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "varchar"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "From the data type name, a shortening of variable character.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "varchars",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "varchar (plural varchars)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned",
        "en:Computing",
        "en:Databases"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1999, David K. Rensin, Andrew M. Fedorchek, William C. Amo, Microsoft SQL Server 7 secrets:",
          "text": "Be aware that varchars will in general provide slower updates but faster selects. By definition, the amount of storage they use is variable.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, Eric Johnson, Joshua Jones, A Developer's Guide to Data Modeling for SQL Server:",
          "text": "With a varchar, the storage is always the actual number of characters you have stored plus 2 bytes. So a varchar(20) with a 5-character word will take up 7 bytes, with the extra 2 bytes holding a size reference for SQL Server.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A text field of indeterminate length in a database, as opposed to the traditional fixed-length field."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "computing",
          "computing#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "database",
          "database"
        ],
        [
          "field",
          "field"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(computing, databases) A text field of indeterminate length in a database, as opposed to the traditional fixed-length field."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "computing",
        "databases",
        "engineering",
        "mathematics",
        "natural-sciences",
        "physical-sciences",
        "sciences"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "varchar"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈvɑːt͡ʃɑː/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈvɑɹt͡ʃɑɹ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈvɛ(ə)ɹkɛ(ə)ɹ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "varchar"
}