bit-slice

adjective

of a computer processor

: composed of a number of smaller processors that each handle a portion of a task concurrently

With conventional microprocessor technology, a single-chip processor cannot attain this speed, so a bit-slice processor was developed that consists of four individual processors connected in parallel.

—James C. Miller et al., Science, 15 Oct. 1982

No offense to all the people working on this technology, but it sounds a lot like initiatives we've already seen in computing, with emulation of chips and universal operating systems and bit-slice computers and whatever.

—John C. Dvorak, PC Magazine, 18 Jan. 2005

Word History

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

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