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Synonyms

minicomputer

American  
[min-ee-kuhm-pyoo-ter] / ˈmɪn i kəmˌpyu tər /

noun

  1. a computer with processing and storage capabilities smaller than those of a mainframe but larger than those of a microcomputer.

minicomputer British  
/ ˌmɪnɪkəmˈpjuːtə /

noun

  1. a small comparatively cheap digital computer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of minicomputer

First recorded in 1965–70; mini- + computer

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.

Using a PDP-1 minicomputer and a 1024 x 1024 pixel CRT display, Russell and his colleagues programmed a game in which two spacecraft duke it out in the gravitational well of a star.

From The Verge • Jul. 29, 2022

So was Ken Olsen, innovator of the interactive minicomputer.

From US News • Apr. 30, 2016

At different times, the minicomputer, the personal computer and the Internet were seen as threats to its survival.

From New York Times • Nov. 14, 2015

Digital Equipment Corp., a once-dominant, now-defunct minicomputer firm, seeded high-tech startups with executives in the Boston area.

From Washington Times • Jul. 18, 2015

While I waited for my turn, I saw several people pulled out of line when the scanner found a subcutaneous minicomputer or a voice-controlled phone installed as a tooth replacement.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.