computer
n
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.
b (as modifier)
computer technology Related prefix →
cyber-
2 a person who computes or calculates
analog computer
n 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 design
n the use of computer techniques in designing products, esp. involving the use of computer graphics, (Abbrev.)
CAD
computer-aided engineering
n the use of computers to automate manufacturing processes, (Abbrev.)
CAE
computer architecture
n the structure, behaviour, and design of computers
computer conferencing
n the conduct of meetings by the use of computer-based telecommunications
computer dating
n the use of computers by dating agencies to match their clients
computer game
n any of various games, recorded on cassette or disc for use in a home computer, that are played by manipulating a mouse, joystick, or the keys on the keyboard of a computer in response to the graphics on the screen
computer graphics
n functioning as sing 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
n another term for →
programming language
computer literate
adj able to use computers
♦
computer literacy n
computer science
n the study of computers and their application
computer typesetting
n a system for the high-speed composition of type by a device driven by punched paper tape or magnetic tape that has been processed by a computer
digital computer
n 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
Compare →
analog computer
hybrid computer
n a computer that uses both analogue and digital techniques
neural computer
n another name for →
neurocomputer
notebook computer
n a portable computer smaller than a laptop model, often approximately the size of a sheet of A4 paper
palmtop computer
n 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, (Often shortened to)
palmtop Compare →
laptop computer
personal computer
n a small inexpensive computer used in word processing, playing computer games, etc.