computer
/kəm'pju:tə/
Definition
- Noun:
- A machine for performing calculations automatically: A device that can be instructed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations automatically via computer programming.
- An expert at calculation (or at operating calculating machines): (Archaic) A person who makes calculations or computations; a human calculator.
Usage and Examples
Noun (Machine):
- I use my computer for work, communication, and entertainment.
- The scientist used a powerful computer to model the climate system.
- All our financial records are stored on the office computer.
Noun (Person - Archaic):
- Before electronic devices, a team of human computers performed the complex calculations for the engineering project.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- As a concept: The term often represents the broader field of information technology and digital systems.
- The invention of the computer revolutionized modern society.
- In compound nouns: While the core word is "computer," it frequently forms the first part of compound terms (see Variants section).
Variants and Related Words
- Computing (n): The activity of using computers and writing programs for them.
- Computerize (v): To equip with or automate by computers.
- Computerized (adj): Controlled or processed by computers.
- Microcomputer (n): A small computer with a microprocessor as its central processing unit.
- Supercomputer (n): A particularly powerful mainframe computer used for complex calculations.
Synonyms
- Processor
- Machine (in context)
- PC (Personal Computer)
- Mainframe (for large systems)
- Calculator (for a simpler, specific-function device)
Common Collocations and Phrases
- Computer program/software: The instructions that tell a computer what to do.
- Computer science: The study of computers and computational systems.
- Computer network: A group of interconnected computers.
- Computer virus: Malicious software designed to spread between computers.
- Personal computer (PC): A computer designed for use by one person at a time.
Idioms and Figurative Use
- To be computer-literate: To have sufficient knowledge and skill to use computers effectively.
- A computer error: Often used humorously or figuratively to blame a mistake on an impersonal system. "It must have been a computer error."
Noun
-
an expert at calculation (or at operating calculating machines)
-
a machine for performing calculations automatically
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