computer — English Dictionary

Noun

1. 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.

   Synonyms

   'puterbox

   Broader terms

   machinedevice

   Examples

   I use a computer for work.

   Meronyms: processor, microprocessor, CPU

   I spend around 6 hours a day at the computer.

   More examples (3)

   As well as saving the photos on my computer, I have them backed up on a USB drive.

   David is a computer expert.

   Janet works at the computer store.

2. A person employed to perform computations; one who computes.

   Usage

   • Historical

   Synonyms

   computatormental calculatorhuman calculator

   Examples

   More examples (2)

   I haue read the truest computer of Times, and the best Arithmetician that euer breathed, and he reduceth thy dayes into a short number: The daies of Man are threescore and ten.

   By which manner of ſpeaking, this Propheteſs, who is ſo exact a Computer, would have us, I ſuppoſe, to conclude, that it would be a great miſtake to think that the number of Angels was either 9, or 11 for one of Men.

   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.

   More examples (2)

   During World War II, scientific laboratories had rooms full of people doing different parts of a complicated calculation using pencil and paper, slide rules, and mechanical calculators. At that time, the word computer referred to a person, and those group calculations may be viewed as the early steps of parallel computing.

   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.

3. A person employed to perform computations; one who computes. A male computer.

   Usage

   • Historical

   Examples

   Coordinate term: (female) computress

Verb

1. To use a computer.

   Usage

   • Intransitive
   • nonstandard
   • Rare

   Examples

   More examples (2)

   Cool he was computering, though. My dad, who is only in his 60's (mom too) thinks he is too busy to get connected to the internet. Oh well. More bandwidth for the rest of us, huh?

   I don't know if you have the same violent mood-swing issues that I do, but I was bustling around the house feeling very useful and good, and then I was sitting here computering for a while, and suddenly it was like a giant butterfly net scooped me up and threw me into an old mayonnaise jar, […]

   I'm constantly computering, schlepping, stressing, and hauling ass like the rest of us. We are New Yorkers.

   Yeah, you saw what he could do when he flips out. I mean, how am I going to say no to that? Plus, he does computer good.

2. To send via computer.

   Usage

   • nonstandard
   • Rare
   • Transitive

   Examples

   They had immediately computered the description out to the scores of law enforcement agencies in Southern California.

   More examples (1)

   'Nah. It was him hated it more than me. Fish out of water. Cops watching every move he makes. Memos about him computered to every nick in the land. He was too innocent for this hi-tech world, Bobby. Would've been back inside in no time at all.'

3. To transfer onto a computer; to computerize.

   Usage

   • nonstandard
   • Rare
   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (4)

   I know there are storage warehouses in New York and Virginia and all over the place, St. Louis, and many other places, that keep these things. I think this is a very fertile area for this committee, and perhaps computering it, or microfilm preservation, or things of that sort.

   Our sincere thanks are due to Antje Reuter, Jens Adam and Uwe Horstmann for computering the manuscript and Ralph Phillips and Kirsten Techmer for proof reading it.

   It is also a pleasure to recommend the skill of Irit Markan who carried out the work of 'computering' the text, and of Ivor Ludlam who bore the labour of proof reading—both the English and the Greek.

   I have 30 years worth of logs some place and they have been computered the last few years and the last few years I think I have posted them to the sites I hang out on.

Noun

1. a machine for performing calculations automatically

   Synonyms

   computing machinecomputing devicedata processorelectronic computerinformation processing system

   Broader terms

   machine

2. an expert at calculation (or at operating calculating machines)

   Synonyms

   calculatorreckonerfigurerestimator

   Broader terms

   expert