Feature Class
Glossary Term Definition:
A feature class can be either a method of storing GIS features of the same geometry (point, line, or polygon); or it can be a discretionary or subjective grouping of homogenous GIS features. For example, "highways, primary roads, and secondary roads can be grouped into a line feature class named "roads."
Glossary Term Source:
Wade, Tasha and Shelly Sommer. A to Z GIS. Redlands, CA. ESRI Press. 2006