binary tree
compound.compound. a way of organizing data in a computer where each item connects to at most two other items below it. It looks like an upside-down tree that splits into two branches at every step.
compound. a hierarchical data structure in which each node has at most two children, referred to as the left child and the right child. This recursive structure is fundamental for efficient searching and sorting algorithms.
The programmer used a binary tree to organize the names alphabetically.
To speed up the search process, the software stores the user IDs in a balanced binary tree.
In a binary search tree, the value of every node in the left subtree must be less than the parent node, while the right subtree contains only greater values.
A compound of binary, from the Latin binarius meaning consisting of two, and the Old English treow. The term follows the established mathematical convention of using botanical metaphors to describe branching structures.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Commonly used in computer science contexts; often appears with modifiers like 'balanced', 'complete', or 'search'.
Last updated July 22, 2026