What term describes the software used to connect a database to applications?

The term that accurately describes the software used to connect a database to applications is a database driver. A database driver serves as a bridge that allows applications to communicate with a database management system (DBMS). It provides the necessary APIs to send requests to the database and receive results, ensuring that the application can execute queries and obtain the needed data securely and efficiently.

While a database management system (DBMS) is essential for managing databases and ensuring data integrity, the term 'database driver' specifically refers to the software component that facilitates the connection and interaction between applications and the DBMS. Network interfaces are related to hardware and software components used for network connectivity and do not specifically refer to database connectivity. Finally, a query processor is a part of the database management system that analyzes and executes the queries but does not serve as the connecting software between applications and databases.