Scada

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A computer-based system that monitors and controls industrial processes and infrastructure such as power grids, pipelines and factories from a central location
2. Software and hardware used to collect real-time data from remote equipment and let operators supervise and adjust machinery across a facility or network
3. An integrated control architecture that gathers sensor readings from distant plants and enables operators to oversee and manage industrial operations remotely

Etymology: SCADA is an acronym for "supervisory control and data acquisition," a phrase built from ordinary English words. It names a type of computer system that lets operators monitor and control equipment spread over a wide area, such as pipelines, electricity grids, and water treatment plants, from a central location. The letters of the phrase were pronounced as a single word, which is how acronyms like this become everyday vocabulary. Because the term is a technical coinage made from common English words, it has no older history in other languages or earlier senses to trace. Its meaning is simply the system the phrase describes.