computer

American  

[kuhm-pyoo-ter] / kəmˈpyu tər /

noun

1. a programmable electronic device designed to accept data, perform prescribed mathematical and logical operations at high speed, and display the results of these operations. Mainframes, desktop and laptop computers, tablets, and smartphones are some of the different types of computers.

2. a computer program or algorithm.

   A computer can write a pop tune, but there's no guarantee it will be a hit.

3. a person who computes; computist.

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computer British  

/ kəmˈpjuːtə /

noun

1. 1. a device, usually electronic, that processes data according to a set of instructions. The digital computer stores data in discrete units and performs arithmetical and logical operations at very high speed. The analog computer has no memory and is slower than the digital computer but has a continuous rather than a discrete input. The hybrid computer combines some of the advantages of digital and analog computers See also digital computer analog computer hybrid computer

   2. ( as modifier )

      computer technology

2. a person who computes or calculates

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computer Scientific  

/ kəm-pyo̅o̅′tər /

1. A programmable machine that performs high-speed processing of numbers, as well as of text, graphics, symbols, and sound. All computers contain a central processing unit that interprets and executes instructions; input devices, such as a keyboard and a mouse, through which data and commands enter the computer; memory that enables the computer to store programs and data; and output devices, such as printers and display screens, that show the results after the computer has processed data.

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computer Cultural  

1. An electronic device that stores and manipulates information. Unlike a calculator, it is able to store a program and retrieve information from its memory. Most computers today are digital, which means they perform operations with quantities represented electronically as digits.

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Other Word Forms

• computerlike adjective
• noncomputer adjective

Etymology

Origin of computer

First recorded in 1640–50; compute + -er ¹; compare Middle French computeur

Example Sentences

After about 5½ hours of work, Hummel logged the completion of the job into the computer and turned in the keys.

From The Wall Street Journal

And any prolonged blockade would risk a global economic and financial crisis, not least because of the importance of Taiwanese high-tech manufacturing, especially in computer chips.

From MarketWatch

It has cut back on the amount of hardware needed to control large numbers of qubits, the basic units of information in a quantum computer, without degrading fidelity.

From Barron's

Within minutes the computer had produced a first draft that included the findings of fact that had taken his team weeks to produce.

From The Wall Street Journal

Powered entirely by light, the robots contain microscopic computers that allow them to follow programmed paths, detect local temperature changes, and adjust their movement in response.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• PC
• data processor
• desktop computer
• personal computer