mainframe

Plural: mainframes

Noun

• 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
• 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 computer chassis that hosts and interconnects modules that perform various tasks.
• The main frame of a vehicle etc., more commonly main frame.

Synonyms

C.P.U., central processing unit, central processor, CPU, mainframe computer, processor, maxi, maxicomputer