Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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noun
Internet-oriented companies that have a large number of users and possess detailed personal information on them, presumably without their consent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, plural, plural-only
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Borrowed from German Datenkraken, plural of Datenkrake, itself a compound of Daten (“data”) and Krake (“octopus”), invoking an imagery of such a company being an octopus having its virtual "tentacles" deeply penetrating its users' online habits.
