mainframe
noun
a large computer, often the hub of a system serving many users.
mainframes
-
pluralof mainframe.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Another custom line, called Tellum II, powers IBM’s latest mainframes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
IBM’s mainframes, servers and software are no less dominant in the core functions of insurance companies, banks, airlines and other members of the Fortune 500.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
IBM lowered its growth outlook after sales of data center mainframes sank 42%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
However, Morningstar’s Yang explained that mainframes fall into a different class of hardware and process different workloads than hyperscaler servers do, for instance.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Computers up to that point had been the massive, expensive mainframes of the sort sitting in the white expanse of the Michigan Computer Center.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
