Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

modem

American  
[moh-duhm, -dem] / ˈmoʊ dəm, -dɛm /

noun

  1. an electronic device that makes possible the transmission of data to or from a computer via telephone or other communication lines.

verb (used with object)

  1. to send or receive (information, data, or the like) via a modem.

modem British  
/ ˈməʊdɛm /

noun

  1. computing a device for connecting two computers by a telephone line, consisting of a modulator that converts computer signals into audio signals and a corresponding demodulator

"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
modem Scientific  
/ mō′dəm /

  1. A device for transmitting and receiving digital data over telephone wires. Modems send data by converting it into audio signals and receive it by converting audio signals back into digital form. The speed at which modems transmit data is measured in bps (bits per second).

modem Cultural  

  1. A device that links a personal computer to a telephone line, so that the computer can receive information from other computers.

Etymology

Origin of modem

mo(dulator) - dem(odulator)

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.

On the variable cost side of the coin, spending on graphics processing units and data centers, as well as massive electricity bills, are sending tech companies’ capital-light models the way of the dial-up modem.

From Barron's

On the variable cost side of the coin, spending on graphics processing units and data centers, as well as massive electricity bills, are sending tech companies’ capital-light models the way of the dial-up modem.

From Barron's

Also, it’s easy to forget that your Wi-Fi router is plugged into a modem, usually in some far corner of the house.

From The Wall Street Journal

The chip maker produces modem systems for iPhones, and Apple is now producing its own modems, with more advanced systems potentially on the way.

From Barron's

The chip maker produces modem systems for iPhones, and Apple is now producing its own modems, with more advanced systems potentially on the way.

From Barron's

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.