a large digital computer serving 100-400 users and occupying a special air-conditioned room
Used in a Sentence
mainframe
How to use mainframe in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for mainframe.
Editorial note
It's nothing at all like the mainframes you've worked with.
Examples12
Definitions2
Parts of speech1
Quick take
a large digital computer serving 100-400 users and occupying a special air-conditioned room
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of mainframe gathered in one view.
(computer science) the part of a computer (a microprocessor chip) that does most of the data processing; "the CPU and the memory form the central part of a computer to which the peripherals are attached"
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for mainframe.
noun
a large digital computer serving 100-400 users and occupying a special air-conditioned room
noun
(computer science) the part of a computer (a microprocessor chip) that does most of the data processing; "the CPU and the memory form the central part of a computer to which the peripherals are attached"
Example sentences
It's nothing at all like the mainframes you've worked with.
I swear he started to drool when referring to IBM's mainframe margins.
First thing I said, naturally, was "why not just export it from the mainframe?
Linux wants to be a secure, multi-user mainframe.
We've all worked with the ex-mainframe guy who still thinks at a punchcard pace and never really wrapped his head around all this web stuff.
It is not surprising at all. "The Cloud" is really "the mainframe" and "native software" is really "client-server".The cycle takes 10 years or so but once you've seen a few you'll realize that the same things come round again and again.
[1] I moved a Fortune 100 manufacturing company's database off an ancient mainframe that would've been disastrous come Y2K.
The mainframe was a secure device for storing secure data and no talk of exporting would ever get through the layers of bureaucracy.
The mainframe terminal had no disc drive or local storage, being a thoroughly secure device with a secure connection through the secure floorboards.
These guys have all admitted to doing stuff like stealing mainframe time, ripping off code, causal hacking, pushing around the old guard, violating all manner of rules, etc.
From my experience mainframes are for legacy companies with legacy systems, as they are not price competitive with other markets that experience real market competition.
But it turns out that nobody cares; the PC is much, much cheaper, and it lets everyone have their own dedicated hardware right on their desk running any software they care to install, instead of time-sharing a mainframe and begging for permission each time they want to try a new program.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use mainframe in a sentence?
It's nothing at all like the mainframes you've worked with.
What does mainframe mean?
a large digital computer serving 100-400 users and occupying a special air-conditioned room
What part of speech is mainframe?
mainframe is commonly used as noun.