computer

American  

[kuhm-pyoo-ter] / kəmˈpju tər /

noun

• computers
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• computerlike
  adjective
• noncomputer
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• computers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of computer

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

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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

See Examples For:

computer computers

Meanwhile Piker—still glued to his computer chair—is settling scores.

From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026

Those components are essentially computer chip technology that allows Apple's devices to operate more quickly, most of which Apple has manufactured through TSMC, which is based in Taiwan.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Bitcoin miners started turning to AI as mining, the practice of using vast computer power to solve equations to unlock the digital currency, became increasingly costly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

To expand what Perseverance can safely handle, engineers conducted thousands of computer simulations and adjusted several operating limits.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026

As Gabi opens the search engine on her computer, I find myself thinking about Bubbe and why she might have this newspaper page in her box, hidden even more deeply than the rest.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

U.S. production reached a five-year high in October, helped by surging demand for computers, electrical equipment and other goods tied to artificial intelligence.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

When the onboard computers recognize a potential problem with active equipment, they can switch to backup hardware, place the spacecraft into a stable configuration, and suspend normal activities.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026

That database was paltry compared with those assembled by AI developers today, but even then computers had become repositories of the esoteric facts one found in reference works and textbooks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

Park said the ministry was treating the incident as a data leak rather than a hacking attack, and was examining computers and email accounts used to prepare the presidential trip.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

“That worked the way they wanted it to. But the old computers cut off parts of their messages. So they had to use other methods as well.”

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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Related Words

• PC
• data processor
• desktop computer
• personal computer

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