Definify.com

Webster 1828 Edition


Computer

COMPUTER

,
Noun.
One who computes; a reckoner; a calculator.

Definition 2024


Computer

Computer

See also: computer and compùter

German

Noun

Computer m (genitive Computers, plural Computer)

  1. computer

Declension

Synonyms


Luxembourgish

Noun

Computer m (plural Computeren)

  1. computer

computer

computer

See also: Computer and compùter

English

An electronic computer (circa early 1980s).

Noun

computer (plural computers)

  1. (now rare, chiefly historical) A person employed to perform computations; one who computes. [from 17th c.]
    • 1927, J. B. S. Haldane, Possible Worlds and Other Essays, page 173
      Only a few years ago Mr. Powers, an American computer, disproved a hypothesis about prime numbers which had held the field for more than 250 years.
    • 2003, Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, BCA, page 116:
      One Harvard computer, Annie Jump Cannon, used her repetitive acquaintance with the stars to devise a system of stellar classifications so practical that it is still in use today.
  2. by restriction, a male computer, where the female computer is called a computress
  3. A programmable electronic device that performs mathematical calculations and logical operations, especially one that can process, store and retrieve large amounts of data very quickly; now especially, a small one for personal or home use employed for manipulating text or graphics, accessing the Internet, or playing games or media. [from 20th c.]

Quotations

  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:computer.

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:computer

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also


Dutch

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kɔmˈpjutər/

Etymology

Borrowing from English computer.

Noun

computer m (plural computers, diminutive computertje n)

  1. computer

Verb

computer

  1. first-person singular present indicative of computeren
  2. imperative of computeren

French

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin computō, computāre (to compute, sum up). See also the doublets compter, and conter.

Verb

computer

  1. (old) to compute
    • 1802, François-René de Chateaubriand, Génie du christianisme
      Quant aux ères, ici on compte par l'année de la création, là par olympiade, par la fondation de Rome, par la naissance de Jésus-Christ, par l'époque d'Eusèbe, par celle des Séleucides, celle de Nabonassar, celle des martyrs. Les Turcs ont leur hégire, les Persans leur yezdegerdic. On compute encore par les éres julienne, grégorienne, ibérienne et actienne.
      As the eras, here they compute by the year of the creation, there by olympiads, by the foundation of Rome, by the birth of Christ, by the epoch of Eusebius, by that of Seleucids, of Nabonassar, of the Martyrs. The Turks have their hegira, the Persians their yezdegerdie. The Julian, Gregorian, Iberian and Actian eras, are also employed in computation.

Conjugation

See also

Anagrams


Italian

Etymology

Borrowing from English computer.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /komˈpjuter/
  • Hyphenation: com‧pù‧ter

Noun

computer m (invariable)

  1. computer (calculating device)

Latin

Verb

computer

  1. first-person singular present passive subjunctive of computō

Romansch

Etymology

Borrowing from English computer.

Noun

computer m (plural computers)

  1. computer

Synonyms

  • calculater