# row (1-row.us)

A row is a straight line of things side by side. People sit in rows at theaters. Plants grow in rows in gardens. A row is also a loud argument.

## 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 line (linear algebra and machine learning): Treat the word as a one-dimensional vector extracted from a larger matrix
- command sequence (spreadsheet software): Expect a numbered horizontal line of cells, ready for formulas or data entry
- iterable sequence (programming loops): Assume the user wants to iterate over items in a linear collection

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "Add a row to the list"
  Means: Put another item in the vertical list
  May be taken as: Create a new database record or spreadsheet line, possibly with empty or wrong fields
  Say instead: "Add another item at the bottom of the list"
- Says: "The third row"
  Means: The third item in a vertical stack
  May be taken as: Select the third horizontal line across a grid, which may be empty or wrong
  Say instead: "The third item from the top"
- Says: "We had a row"
  Means: We argued loudly
  May be taken as: Parse as a data structure or geometric line, missing the emotional context entirely
  Say instead: "We had an argument"
- Says: "Row by row"
  Means: One at a time in order
  May be taken as: Process as matrix row iteration or database cursor, expecting structured data
  Say instead: "One item at a time in order"

## Tips
- Say 'line' or 'item' if you mean a vertical list entry, not a horizontal one
- Say 'argument' or 'fight' if you mean a quarrel, not a data structure
- Specify 'table row' or 'spreadsheet row' if you mean the horizontal kind
- Say 'one at a time' instead of 'row by row' unless you are working with a matrix or table
- Use 'record' or 'entry' when talking to a database to avoid shape confusion

## Often confused with
- column: Vertical line, the perpendicular partner to a row
- line: More general; can be vertical or horizontal but less structured
- rank: A row in a military or social hierarchy, not a data grid
- array: A structured collection with indexed positions, not necessarily two-dimensional
- record: A complete set of related data fields, often stored as a row
- queue: A waiting line with order of service, not a spatial arrangement