Pure Data is generally described as "real-time graphical dataflow programming", so there are three key words there:
- real-time: its a real-time system, so there is a built in sense of time and concurrency, and "guarantees" a response within strict time constraints
- graphical: the programming is performed and represented graphically rather than text or punch cards or whatever (this could also be labeled visual)
- dataflow: the programming logic is based on the flow of the data, versus object-oriented or procedural
My guess is that you are most interested in the graphical/visual part of that.