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

To move beyond these limitations, Mercier and his team, including first author Jae-Young Ko, an electrical and computer engineering Ph.D. student at UC San Diego, investigated a different approach using piezoelectric resonators.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

A brainwave interface translating these signals into computer instructions then allowed her to convey which of these movements she wanted her mixed-reality avatar to dance in real-time.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

McKay, who joined Royal Bank in 1983 as a co-op student in computer programming before moving into its retail banking arm, described it as a once-in-a-generation moment for Canada.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

“Faces of Death” is so steeped in the computer monitor’s point of view that, ultimately, the internet isn’t merely the defendant on trial — it’s also the judge and jury.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

I get to homeroom early enough to snag a computer.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Related Words

• PC
• data processor
• desktop computer
• personal computer