a sequence of 8 bits (enough to represent one character of alphanumeric data) processed as a single unit of information
Microsoft Computer Dictionary
n. Short for binary term. A unit of data, today almost always consisting of 8 bits. A byte can represent a single character, such as a letter, a digit, or a punctuation mark. Because a byte represents only a small amount of information, amounts of computer memory and storage are usually given in kilobytes (1024 bytes), megabytes (1,048,576 bytes), or gigabytes (1,073,741,824 bytes). Abbreviation: B. See also bit, gigabyte, kilobyte, megabyte. Compare octet, word.
