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
John Derbyshire2
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
Fixing mainframes, science gear, and RV resorts Larry Finger, and fish, from his Quora profile.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 24 June 2024
After mastering his mainframe development skills for over 18 years, the forward-thinking engineer took a steep veer in his life, shifting to high-tech and .NET.
—Hilary Tetenabaum, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
Read for yourself: Andromeda stepped back in terror, only to feel her proton backplate meet the cold, unforgiving steel of the mainframe’s terminus.
—Sean McGowan, The New Yorker, 19 June 2024
Back then, computers were primitive by modern standards, massive mainframe contraptions that could process only hundreds of thousands of cycles per second (instead of billions, like today), had very little memory, operated via punch cards, and were not connected to one another.
—Benjamín Labatut, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for mainframe 
Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 24 June 2024
After mastering his mainframe development skills for over 18 years, the forward-thinking engineer took a steep veer in his life, shifting to high-tech and .NET.
—Hilary Tetenabaum, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
Read for yourself: Andromeda stepped back in terror, only to feel her proton backplate meet the cold, unforgiving steel of the mainframe’s terminus.
—Sean McGowan, The New Yorker, 19 June 2024
Back then, computers were primitive by modern standards, massive mainframe contraptions that could process only hundreds of thousands of cycles per second (instead of billions, like today), had very little memory, operated via punch cards, and were not connected to one another.
—Benjamín Labatut, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for mainframe
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mainframe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mainframe
Cite this Entry
“Mainframe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainframe. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mainframe
noun
main·frame
ˈmān-ˌfrām
: a large fast computer that can do many jobs at once
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share