record

A "record" can be many things. It can be a written or stored account of something, like a record of expenses, school records, or family history. It can also mean putting something down so it can be kept, such as recording a song, recording a meeting, or recording the details of an event. And if someone reaches the highest score or fastest time so far, they set a new record.

Think of it as a way to keep something from being lost, whether that is sound, facts, or an achievement. A police officer might record details about an incident in a report. A runner can break a record by doing better than the previous best. And sometimes people say "set the record straight" when they mean to explain what really happened.

The word "record" is very flexible. At its heart, it is about keeping something so it can be known, used, or checked later. As a verb, it means to write something down, store information, or capture sound or video. You might record a song in a studio, record minutes during a meeting, or record your daily steps on a fitness tracker.

As a noun, it can mean the information itself. A hospital keeps patient records, a company keeps sales records, and a government office may keep birth records. In this sense, it often means an official account or history that can be looked at later. It can also mean a person's past performance or behavior, as in a work record, school record, or criminal record.

It can also mean the best result reached in a sport, game, or other activity. If someone breaks a world record, they do better than anyone before them. In this use, the idea is not just success, but a result that has been measured and kept officially.

Another common meaning is the music disc, especially a vinyl one. People buy records, play records, and collect old records. In modern use, the word can also point to an audio or video file, depending on the context.

The word also appears in common expressions. To set the record straight means to correct a false idea. On record means said or written in a way that can be checked later. Off the record means not meant for public use or official notice.

So whether it is about writing things down, storing sound, keeping official facts, naming a person's history, or marking the highest result, "record" is a word about keeping something that matters.