fablessadj.
/ˈfabləs/, U.S. /ˈfæbləs/ Originally U.S.
Of an electronics business: that has no manufacturing plant; that contracts out the manufacture of components (esp. microchips) to another company. Also: of or relating to such a business.
ΚΠ
1988 Electronic Business 1 Mar. 36/1 The fabless semiconductor company is not a new phenomenon.
1993 Forbes 18 Jan. 88/1 The newcomers' strategy was fabless production... Let the Japanese make the stuff; we'll design it and reap most of the profit.
1996 Economist 23 Mar. 25/3 The advantage for the fabless firms is that they can get into the chip business without having to spend billions on manufacture.
2002 BusinessWeek 4 Nov. 122/3 For all but the largest producers, the smartest choice may be to go ‘fabless’, avoiding the manufacturing rat race.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1988