# Archie

/ˈɑɹtʃi/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/archie
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a person's name

noun · CEFR A1

a common short name for a man named Archibald.

For teachers: a diminutive of the masculine given name Archibald, frequently used as a formal given name in its own right.

- Archie and his friends went to the park to play football.
- The biography details how Archie rose from a modest background to become one of the most influential figures in the industry.

### 2. anti-aircraft guns

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Slang

a slang word used during World War I for guns that shoot at planes.

For teachers: a slang term for anti-aircraft artillery or the fire from such ordnance.

- The pilots had to fly low to avoid the heavy archie coming from the ground.
- During the reconnaissance mission, the squadron encountered intense archie, forcing them to break formation and seek cloud cover.

Usage: Usually uncountable when referring to the fire itself, but can be countable when referring to the guns.

### 3. a type of computer

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Informal

a friendly name for the Acorn Archimedes, a computer used in British schools in the 1980s.

For teachers: an informal designation for the Acorn Archimedes range of personal computers.

- We used to play educational games on the old Archie in the school library.
- Retro-computing enthusiasts still maintain software libraries for the Archie, praising its innovative RISC architecture.

Usage: Primarily used in the United Kingdom during the late 20th century.

## Examples

- Archie helped people find files on the internet in the early 1990s.
- Before Google existed, researchers used Archie to search for software across various university servers.
- The development of Archie marked a pivotal moment in computing history, demonstrating the necessity of automated indexing for navigating the rapidly expanding network of global file repositories.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.