mainframe

noun

main·​frame ˈmān-ˌfrām 

1

: a large, powerful computer that can handle many tasks concurrently and is usually used commercially

… the million-dollar mainframe computers that took up entire floors of corporate premises …

—John Derbyshire

2

dated : a computer with its cabinet and internal circuits especially when considered separately from any peripherals connected to the computer

Examples of mainframe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Announced at the Hot Chips conference, the processor is the first dual-architecture mainframe chip from IBM and is being developed for future IBM Z and LinuxONE systems. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Aug. 2026

The current system was installed three decades ago and runs on a mainframe and a computing language known as COBOL. — Bryan P. Sears, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026

Krishna said investors won’t have to wait much longer for quantum computing to become a meaningful business line for the enterprise software and mainframes technology company, known as Big Blue. — Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

That was during a corporate mainframe computing boom, while AI was still in its infancy. — Humayun Chaudhry, STAT, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for mainframe

• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame
• disclaim
• doorframe
• exclaim
• inflame
• nickname

Kids Definition

mainframe

noun

main·​frame ˈmān-ˌfrām 

: a large fast computer that can do many jobs at once