computer
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Computer \Com*put"er\ (k[o^]m*p[=u]t"[~e]r), n.
1. One who computes.
2. (Computers) an electronic device for performing
calculations automatically. It consists of a clock to
provide voltage pulses to synchronize the operations of
the devices within the computer, a central processing
unit, where the arithmetical and logical operations are
performed on data, a random-access memory, where the
programs and data are stored for rapid access, devices to
input data and output results, and various other
peripheral devices of widely varied function, as well as
circuitry to support the main operations.
Note: This modern sense of computer comprises the
stored-program computers, in which multiple steps in a
calculation may be stored within the computer itself as
{instructions} in a {program}, and are then executed by
the computer without further intervention of the
operator. Different types of computer are variously
called {analog computer}, {number cruncher,
number-cruncher}, {digital computer}, and {pari-mutuel
machine, totalizer, totaliser, totalizator,
totalisator}.
Syn: data processor, electronic computer, information
processing system.
[WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
3. (Computers) same as {digital computer}.
[PJC]
from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
computer
computing
<computer> A machine that can be programmed to manipulate
symbols. Computers can perform complex and repetitive
procedures quickly, precisely and reliably and can quickly
store and retrieve large amounts of data.
The physical components from which a computer is constructed
(electronic circuits and input/output devices) are known as
"{hardware}". Most computers have four types of hardware
component: CPU, input, output and memory. The CPU ({central
processing unit}) executes programs ("{software}") which tell
the computer what to do. Input and output (I/O) devices allow
the computer to communicate with the user and the outside
world. There are several kinds of memory - fast, expensive,
short term memory (e.g. {RAM}) to hold intermediate results,
and slower, cheaper, long-term memory (e.g. {magnetic disk} and
{magnetic tape}) to hold programs and data between jobs.
See also {analogue computer}.
(1995-03-10)
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
50 Moby Thesaurus words for "computer":
IBM machine, IDA, Teleplotter, Telereader, abacist, accountant,
actuary, adder, analog computer, analytical control unit, analyzer,
bookkeeper, calculator, coder, collator, compiler,
computer hardware, computer unit, data processor, decoder,
detector, differential, differential analyzer, digital computer,
digital graph plotter, divider, electronic brain,
electronic computer, estimator, figurer, hardware,
information machine, integrator, memory tubes, multiplier,
phase discriminator, position coder, printer, printing calculator,
receptor, reckoner, relay, selective calculator, selector,
statistician, storage unit, telecomputer, thinking machine,
transmitter, tristimulus computer
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