personal computer
43
2.4
- noun
- /ˈpɜrsənl kəmˈpjuːtər/
:
ordenador personal (ES)
- She uses her personal computer every day to complete her homework.
- personal computer software
- personal computer (PC)
- use a personal computer
And, and so it was the first personal computer brought out by IBM.
- And, and so it was the first personal computer brought out by IBM.
- And like sculptures, the best personal computers are all about the builder's attention to detail.
- So what we learn with the pandemic is that the number one use case of personal computers is communications.
- And then, and then, you know, I had one of the first personal computers and I I got hooked in programming.
- And he said it's the most significant development in technology since the personal computer.
- There were thousands of PDPS, there were millions of hobbyist computers that came from that, billions of personal computers, trillions of Internet of Things.
- We must claim power back from the institutions and build the personal computer.
Examples
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Forty-two percent of the respondents indicated that personal computers are the basis for their current information system.
Academic text (1997) -
Novels, articles, newspapers will all be downloaded onto our personal computers anyway.
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"Congratulations on your first personal computer."
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But we want to make the best personal computers in the industry.
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I got myself one of those personal computers.
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So whatever Brian wants to be, an Apple personal computer can help him be it.
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In my office was one of the few personal computers on the second floor.
Fiction book (1990) -
So what we learn with the pandemic is that the number one use case of personal computers is communications.
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This is Conklin's personal computer.
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At some graduate institutes, all students are provided with personal computers for their studies.
Academic text (1999)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A machine that processes and stores information using programs
309
1.0
A small, light computer you can use on your lap
192
1.8
A small computer for one person to use at home or work
56
3.5
A small personal computer used at home or in offices
35
2.8
A personal computer that sits on a desk and is not carried
30
2.5
A small portable computer you carry and use on battery power
23
2.8
A personal computer used at home for writing, games and the internet
17
1.3
A small, light machine you can carry to use for work or study
11
4.2
A powerful desktop computer used for technical or scientific work
10
1.7
A computer for use at a desk with a separate screen, keyboard, and mouse
4
2.7
A small computer you can carry to use in different places
3
2.8
A small light portable computer like a laptop
2
4.7
A small computer for one person that uses a small chip to run programs
1
4.2
A personal computer that uses an older Intel processor
How Portable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a computer intended for use by one person' is directly and compositionally derived from 'personal' (relating to an individual) + 'computer' (an electronic device). This transparent, literal combination is common across languages and follows standard noun-noun compounding, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Personal computer came into use when small, cheaper machines arrived that could sit on a person's desk instead of the very large machines shared by many. The word personal meant 'for one person' and computer meant the machine, so the name came to mean a computer 'for one person'.