computing machine
1
4.4
- noun
- /kəmˈpjuːtɪŋ məˈʃin/
- Archaic
:
máquina de computación
- In the 20th century, computing machines evolved rapidly, leading to the advanced computers we use today.
Examples
-
"The brain is a computing machine connected with a spirit."
Blog text (19) -
I made the abacus myself and spent many months designing this computing machine.
Blog text (23) -
The first one, The Analytical Engine, originally a long New Yorker article on the history of computing machines, had won a science-writing prize.
Academic text (2005) -
The first modern computing machine revolutionized the way we perform calculations and process data.
-
Charles Babbage's designs for the computing machine are considered foundational to the development of modern technology.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A machine that processes and stores information using programs
3
3.7
A machine like a computer or calculator that works with information
3
3.7
A machine like a phone or laptop that handles information using the numbers 0 and 1
2
4.7
A small computer for one person that uses a small chip to run programs
1
2.4
A machine that uses electricity to work with information and do calculations by itself
1
5.9
A machine for doing math, often mechanical or early electronic
1
4.0
A machine like a computer that stores and uses data
1
3.7
A machine or part of a computer that quickly does calculations and handles information automatically
How Powerful
- Specialized
28
5.5
- Specialized
59
5.3
43
2.4
- Archaic
1
4.4
7
6.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a machine that performs calculations' is directly and compositionally derived from 'computing' (the activity of calculating) + 'machine' (a device). This noun+noun composition follows common cross-linguistic patterns, so an average B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Computing machine comes from a time when many calculations were done by people called 'computers'. The word computing means doing sums, and when a machine did that work people called it a computing machine, so today it means 'a machine that does calculations'.