From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Computer \Com*put"er\ (k[o^]m*p[=u]t"[~e]r), n.
1. One who computes.
2. (Computers) an electronic device for performing
calculations automatically. It consists of a clock to
provide voltage pulses to synchronize the operations of
the devices within the computer, a central processing
unit, where the arithmetical and logical operations are
performed on data, a random-access memory, where the
programs and data are stored for rapid access, devices to
input data and output results, and various other
peripheral devices of widely varied function, as well as
circuitry to support the main operations.
Note: This modern sense of computer comprises the
stored-program computers, in which multiple steps in a
calculation may be stored within the computer itself as
{instructions} in a {program}, and are then executed by
the computer without further intervention of the
operator. Different types of computer are variously
called {analog computer}, {number cruncher,
number-cruncher}, {digital computer}, and {pari-mutuel
machine, totalizer, totaliser, totalizator,
totalisator}.
Syn: data processor, electronic computer, information
processing system.
[WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
3. (Computers) same as {digital computer}.
[PJC]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
digital computer \digital computer\ n.
1. (Computers) a computer that represents information by
numerical digits with a fixed number of values; -- most
commonly each piece of information is internally
represented in binary code, as an array of {bits}, which
are information units each of which can take only two
values. The possible values of each {bit} are
conventionally represented as the numbers 1 or 0.
Note: The bits of information are usually further organized,
maniplulated, and discussed as {nybbles} (4 bits,
rarely used), {bytes} (8 bits, most commonly used), or
{words} (from 16 to 128 bits, and in the future
probably more). A {word} is usually defined as the
number of bits that are processed at one time by the
central procesor unit.
Syn: .
[WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
digital computer
n 1: a computer that represents information by numerical
(binary) digits
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