A computer is an electronic machine that can store and deal with large amounts of information.
The data are then fed into a computer.
The company installed a $650,000 computer system.
It's done on a computer?
The car was designed by computer.
2. See also personal computer
computer in British English
(kəmˈpjuːtə)
noun
1.
a.
a device, usually electronic, that processes data according to a set of instructions. The digital computer stores data in discrete units and performs arithmetical and logical operations at very high speed. The analog computer has no memory and is slower than the digital computer but has a continuous rather than a discrete input. The hybrid computer combines some of the advantages of digital and analog computers
See also digital computer, analog computer, hybrid computer
b.
(as modifier)
computer technology
▶ Related prefix: cyber-
2.
a person who computes or calculates
computer in American English
(kəmˈpjutər)
noun
1.
a person who computes
2.
a device used for computing; specif., an electronic machine which, by means of storedinstructions and information, performs rapid, often complex calculations or compiles, correlates, and selects data; now, esp., digital computer
The hope is that a curious or gullible employee will insert the infected device into their computer.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They were told to reinforce their computer systems.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The new computer system is better able to reconcile tax due with that actually paid.
Computing (2010)
He said staff could not access their computer systems to see which passengers had gone through security.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Perhaps it explains his distaste for electric cars - basically computers on wheels.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Cameras under the windows capture video and photos of people as they approach and these are compared with images stored on its computer.
The Sun (2016)
A database does the same thing with information that people have stored on a computer or theinternet.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was also the first economics institute to make wide use of a large computer.
Aganbegyan, Abel Inside Perestroika: The Future of the Soviet Economy (1990)
What specific objectives would you set for a computer system?
Torrington, Derek Personnel Management: A New Approach (1991)
Your car uses computer equipment to control the flow of electricity through the vehicle.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This information will be stored on its computer system.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You probably have software made by the company protecting your computer from digital attack.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They are taking cues from electronic gadgets and computer games.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The wealth of information is stored on computers dotted about the car.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
American officials have reportedly come away with a large number of computer drives.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The crooks access car computers remotely to trick them into unlocking doors.
The Sun (2014)
It could involve improving internal business systems rather than simply installing a new computer system.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Teesside has made subjects such as computer games and digital media its own.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Now he is working on computer devices using ion currents.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The first electronic computers were a replacement for female computers.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Its data centres house computer systems and store information for other businesses.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Persons who give computer equipment to an elementary or secondary school are eligible for a special tax deduction.
Christianity Today (2000)
The combined capacity of networks of computers seemed more important than the centralised power of the largest computers.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Second, computers are tireless machines with near limitless capacity for handling information.
Evans, Peter & Deehan, Geoff The Descent of Mind - the how and why of intelligence (1990)
Their computer recognises the binary thoughts and sends them to the second person 's computer.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You can also learn new skills fast - especially when computers or cars are involved.
The Sun (2008)
Products range from large household electricals such as fridges and washing machines to laptop computers and MP3 players.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
I had to get the computers set up.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Under many schemes employees would own the computers after a set number of payments, effectively buying a computer at a reduced price.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Quotations
To err is human but to really foul things up requires a computerFarmers' Almanac for 1978
The Answer to the Great Question ... Of Life, the Universe and Everything ... Is ... Forty-twoDouglas AdamsThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
A distributed system is one in which the failure of a computer you didn't even know existed can render your own computer unusableLeslie Lamport
That's what's cool about working with computers. They don't argue, they remember everything, and they don't drink all your beerPaul Leary
In other languages
computer
British English: computer /kəmˈpjuːtə/ NOUN
A computer is an electronic machine which makes quick calculations and deals with large amounts of information.
The data are then fed into a computer.
American English: computer
Arabic: كمبيوتر
Brazilian Portuguese: computador
Chinese: 计算机
Croatian: računalo
Czech: počítač
Danish: computer
Dutch: computer
European Spanish: ordenador
Finnish: tietokone
French: ordinateur
German: Computer
Greek: υπολογιστής
Italian: computer
Japanese: コンピューター
Korean: 컴퓨터
Norwegian: datamaskin
Polish: komputer
European Portuguese: computador
Romanian: calculator
Russian: компьютер
Latin American Spanish: computadora
Swedish: dator
Thai: เครื่องคอมพิวเตอร์
Turkish: bilgisayar
Ukrainian: комп'ютер
Vietnamese: máy tính vi tính
All related terms of 'computer'
computer age
modern society regarded as the period when the widespread use of computers has fundamentally changed people's lives
computer chip
a small integrated circuit of a kind used in computers
computer disk
a computer data storage device such as a hard drive or floppy disk
computer game
A computer game is a game that you play on a computer or on a small portable piece of electronic equipment .
computer nerd
someone who is inordinately preoccupied with using computers
home computer
a computer for use in the home
host computer
a computer or server connected to a network and providing facilities to other computers and their users
trip computer
A trip computer in a vehicle gives readings of average speed, fuel consumption , and fuel cost per mile .
analog computer
a mechanical , electrical , or electronic computer that performs arithmetical operations by using some variable physical quantity, such as mechanical movement or voltage , to represent numbers
computer-aided
done or improved by computer
computer crime
crime perpetrated on or requiring the use of computers
computer dating
the use of computers by dating agencies to match their clients
computer error
an error attributed to the action of a computer
computer expert
An expert is a person who is very skilled at doing something or who knows a lot about a particular subject.
computer model
a model of a process or object created on a computer
computer screen
the working area on the monitor of a computer
computer system
a computer and all its component software and hardware , peripherals, etc
computer virus
→ another term for virus (sense 4 )
computer vision
an artificial analogue of human vision in which information about the environment is received by one or more video cameras and processed by computer: used in navigation by robots , in the control of automated production lines, etc
hybrid computer
a computer that uses both analogue and digital techniques
neural computer
a type of computer designed to mimic the action of the human brain by use of an electronic neural network
office computer
A computer is an electronic machine that can store and deal with large amounts of information.
computer animation
animated film or video that is generated by computers
computer-assisted
done or improved by computer
computer-generated
produced by a computer program
computer graphics
the use of a computer to produce and manipulate pictorial images on a video screen , as in animation techniques or the production of audiovisual aids
computer language
a simple language system designed to facilitate the writing of computer programs
computer literate
If someone is computer-literate , they have enough skill and knowledge to be able to use a computer.
computer printout
a document that is printed from a computer file
computer program
a set of instructions for a computer to perform some task
computer science
the study of computers and their application
computer scientist
a person with advanced knowledge of computers and how they work
computer studies
a course of study devoted to using and programming computers
computer terminal
a keyboard and computer monitor connected to a computer
desktop computer
A computer is an electronic machine that can store and deal with large amounts of information.
digital computer
an electronic computer in which the input is discrete rather than continuous , consisting of combinations of numbers , letters, and other characters written in an appropriate programming language and represented internally in binary notation
notebook computer
a portable computer smaller than a laptop model , often approximately the size of a sheet of A4 paper
onboard computer
onboard a vehicle, ship, plane , train or spacecraft
optical computer
a computer, still mainly theoretical , that uses photonic rather than electronic mechanisms for computing
palmtop computer
a computer that has a small screen and compressed keyboard and is small enough to be held in the hand, often used as a personal organizer
personal computer
A personal computer is a computer that is used by one person at a time in a business , a school , or at home . The abbreviation → PC is also used.
quantum computer
a type of computer which uses the ability of quantum systems to be in many different states at once, thus allowing it to perform many different computations simultaneously
computer architecture
the structure, behaviour , and design of computers
computer conferencing
the conduct of meetings through the use of computer-based telecommunications
computer-controlled
controlled by computers, esp without direct human intervention
computer peripheral
a device that is attached to and controlled by a computer, such as a scanner , printer , or external hard drive
computer programmer
a person whose job is to write computer programs
computer programming
the activity or profession of writing computer programs
computer simulation
an event, process, or scenario that is created on a computer
computer technology
Technology refers to methods , systems, and devices which are the result of scientific knowledge being used for practical purposes.
See parts of a computerSee types of computerSee terms used in computingSee computer scientists
Quotations
To err is human but to really foul things up requires a computer [Farmers' Almanac for 1978]The Answer to the Great Question ... Of Life, the Universe and Everything ... Is ... Forty-two [Douglas Adams – The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]A distributed system is one in which the failure of a computer you didn't even know existed can render your own computer unusable [Leslie Lamport]That's what's cool about working with computers. They don't argue, they remember everything, and they don't drink all your beer [Paul Leary]