mainframe

A large powerful computer, often serving many connected terminals and usually used by large complex organizations.

A large digital computer serving 100-400 users and occupying a special air-conditioned room. At any given point in development of computer technology, the mainframe will be faster, have large main memeory, and be more capable than a minicomputer, which will in turn be faster and more capable than a personal computer. The typical personal computer in 1999 is faster than a mainframe was in 1970.

The board holding the CPU and the memory forming the central part of a computer to which the peripherals are attached.

A large, powerful computer able to manage very many simultaneous tasks and communicate with very many connected terminals; used by large, complex organizations (such as banks and supermarkets) where continuously sustained operation is vital

a large digital computer serving 100-400 users and occupying a special air-conditioned room

(computer science) the part of a computer (a microprocessor chip) that does most of the data processing