Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: 1  nose(Noun) The organ of the face used to breathe or smell. 2  nose(Noun) A snout, the nose of an animal. 3  nose(Noun) The tip of an object (e.g. the nose of a fighter plane).
SQL is a set-based, declarative query language, not an imperative language such as C or BASIC. However, there are extensions to Standard SQL which add procedural programming language functionality, such as control-of-flow constructs. Transact-SQL is one of those extensions.
Originally based upon relational algebra and tuple relational calculus, SQL consists of a data definition language, data manipulation language, and Data Control Language. The scope of SQL includes data insert, query, update and delete, schema creation and modification, and data access control. Although SQL is often described as, and to a great extent is, a declarative language (4GL), it also includes procedural elements.