English - Etymology

From compute +‎ -er.

English - Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /kəmˈpjuːtə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /kəmˈpjutɚ/
• Hyphenation: com‧puter
• Rhymes: -uːtə(r)

English - Noun

computer (plural computers)

1. (now rare, chiefly historical) A person employed to perform computations; one who computes. [from 17th c.]
   • 1927, J. B. S. Haldane, Possible Worlds and Other Essays, page 173

     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.

   • 2003, Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, BCA, page 116:

     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.

2. by restriction, a male computer, where the female computer is called a computress
3. 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. [from 20th c.]

Quotations

• For usage examples of this term, see the citations page.

Synonyms

• (programmable device that performs logical operations): automatic data processing machine, processor, 'puter (informal), box (slang), machine, calculator, portable computer, laptop

• See also Wikisaurus:computer

Hyponyms

• (programmable device that performs logical operations): desktop, laptop
• (a person employed to perform computations): computress f

Antonyms

• (a person employed to perform computations): computress f (when "computer" is used to represent the masculine form)

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Dutch - Etymology

Borrowing from English.

Dutch - Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔmˈpjutər/

Dutch - Noun

computer m (plural computers, diminutive computertje n)

1. computer

Dutch - Verb

computer

1. first-person singular present indicative of computeren
2. imperative of computeren

French - Etymology

Borrowed from Latin computāre (“to compute, sum up”). See also compter, and conter.

French - Verb

computer

1. (old) to compute
   • 1802, François-René de Chateaubriand, Génie du christianisme

     Quant aux ères, ici on compte par l'année de la création, là par olympiade, par la fondation de Rome, par la naissance de Jésus-Christ, par l'époque d'Eusèbe, par celle des Séleucides, celle de Nabonassar, celle des martyrs. Les Turcs ont leur hégire, les Persans leur yezdegerdic. On compute encore par les éres julienne, grégorienne, ibérienne et actienne.

     As the eras, here they compute by the year of the creation, there by olympiads, by the foundation of Rome, by the birth of Christ, by the epoch of Eusebius, by that of Seleucids, of Nabonassar, of the Martyrs. The Turks have their hegira, the Persians their yezdegerdie. The Julian, Gregorian, Iberian and Actian eras, are also employed in computation.

Conjugation

French - See Also

• supputer
• compter

French - Anagrams

• compteur

French - External Links

• "computer" in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Italian - Etymology

Borrowing from English.

Italian - Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /komˈpjuter/
• Hyphenation: com‧pù‧ter

Italian - Noun

computer m (invariable)

1. computer (calculating device)

Latin - Verb

computer

1. first-person singular present passive subjunctive of computō

Romansch - Etymology

Borrowing from English.

Romansch - Noun

computer m (plural computers)

1. computer

Synonyms

• calculater

قافية