Word
Definitions
01electronic device
A1 · Beginner Countable noun Computing
n. an electronic machine that you use for work, games, or the internet.
n. a programmable electronic device that processes, stores, and retrieves data.
“I use my computer every day to send emails and watch videos.”
“Modern computers are capable of processing billions of operations per second, enabling complex simulations and high-speed data analysis.”
Usage
Usually a countable noun; can be used as a modifier in phrases like 'computer programmer' or 'computer screen'.
02a person who calculates
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Mathematics Archaic · Formal
n. a person whose job was to do long and difficult math problems before machines were invented.
n. a person employed to perform complex mathematical calculations manually.
“In the past, a computer was a person who spent all day doing math.”
“Before the advent of digital technology, the observatory employed dozens of human computers to map the trajectories of the stars.”
Teaching tip
This sense is historical; learners will mostly encounter it in books or films about the history of science, such as 'Hidden Figures'.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “computer” in context.
Etymology
From compute + -er. Doublet of cantore, counter, and kontor. First sense first appears c. 1613 in the works of the poet Richard Brathwait. Second sense first appears c. 1897 in the magazine Engineering.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/computer
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR