data packet

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

packet
data packet

   The unit of data sent across a {network}.  "Packet" is a
   generic term used to describe a unit of data at any layer of
   the {OSI} {protocol stack}, but it is most correctly used to
   describe {application layer} data units ("{application
   protocol data unit}", APDU).

   See also {datagram}, {frame}.

   (1994-11-30)