Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
asynchronous transfer mode

asynchronous transfer mode

6.3
A fast digital way to send small pieces of data that are the same size, such as voice and video
  • noun
  • /eɪˈsɪŋkrənəs ˈtrænsfɜr moʊd/
  • Archaic
translation icon : modo de transferencia asíncrona
  • The asynchronous transfer mode provides a fast and efficient way to transmit video data over the internet.

Examples

  • Messages transported through an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network must be segmented into short, fixed-length packets, called cells, at the source and reassembled at the destination.

    Academic text (1997)

  • The use of asynchronous transfer mode allows companies to handle large volumes of voice and video calls simultaneously.

  • In an asynchronous transfer mode network, data is sent in small packets to ensure a smooth flow of information.

Synonyms

ATM
vsasynchronous transfer mode
  • Archaic
1 4.7

A fast network system that sends data, voice, and video in small fixed packets

is the full formal name rather than the short abbreviated form

Surface Forms

asynchronous transfer mode singular
asynchronous transfer modes plural

Morphology

asynchronous + transfer + mode

The phrase is compositionally built from 'asynchronous' (without shared timing), 'transfer' (moving) and 'mode' (method/way), so a learner who knows those words can infer it denotes a method of transferring data without synchronized timing. Technical specifics like fixed-size packets and telecom application are specialized and not predictable from the words, but the core sense is transparent and predictable across languages.

Etymology

Asynchronous transfer mode describes a way data is sent: asynchronous means 'not at the same time', transfer means sending, and mode means a method, so many small, equal pieces of data are sent one by one without waiting and different kinds (voice, video, files) can move together quickly. That's why the name is used for 'a fast way to send different kinds of data'.