computer language

American  

[kuhm-pyoo-ter lang-gwij] / kəmˈpyu tər ˌlæŋ gwɪdʒ /

noun

1. a programming language, as BASIC, COBOL, or FORTRAN, devised for communicating instructions to a computer.

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computer language British  

noun

1. another term for programming language

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Etymology

Origin of computer language

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

It hasn’t helped that the agency has such outdated information technology systems that it sometimes uses a 1960s-era computer language for data processing and stores information on magnetic tapes in warehouses.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 14, 2022

When Xerox executives decided not to release Interpress, a precursor to PostScript, Dr. Geschke and Warnock decided to quit and develop a version of the computer language on their own.

From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2021

If you actually look at the technologies that banks run on, we’re talking about COBOL, which is a computer language from the ’70s.

From The Verge • Apr. 6, 2021

In the beginning, computers spoke only computer language, and a human seeking to interact with one was compelled to do the same.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2016

Using `+' or `plus'    to mean addition in a computer language is taking advantage of the    ELIZA effect.

From The Jargon File, Version 4.0.0, 24 Jul 1996 by Raymond, Eric S.