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

Explanation

Unless you're living in a cave cut off from humanity, you've seen these electronic machines with a screen, keyboard, and brain that stores massive amounts of information. Computers are ubiquitous in offices, airports, schools...even caves cut off from humanity. Though computers are a thoroughly modern invention, the root word that gave them their name dates all the way back to Roman times. Tech geeks dreamed up computer by embellishing the English word compute, which means "to calculate." Compute, in turn, comes from Latin com-, "with" and putare, "to reckon." So, your computer is a device that helps you reckon — or think. It also comes in handy for email and every type of entertainment imaginable.

Example Sentences

Adams kindled a professional interest in tech in 2001 after a computer scientist who designed algorithms for air-traffic control invited him to visit MIT’s Media Lab.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

High-energy particles from the Sun and deep space can also trigger computer errors that force spacecraft into "safe mode," temporarily shutting down nonessential systems until engineers resolve the issue.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2026

"They tell you they can't access your account or that the computer says something different. It felt like banging your head against a wall."

From BBC • May 15, 2026

And how, if he—whoever “he” was—could find Jonah’s note and Chip’s computer files, then that person could just as easily tap their phones.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

She pretended that she was her hero, because he wouldn’t mind that his computer and suitcase had washed overboard and were at the bottom of the ocean.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr

Related Words

• PC
• data processor
• desktop computer
• personal computer