HARDWARE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does hardware mean? 

• HARDWARE (noun)
  The noun HARDWARE has 3 senses:

1. major items of military weaponry (as tanks or missile)

2. instrumentalities (tools or implements) made of metal

3. (computer science) the mechanical, magnetic, electronic, and electrical components making up a computer system

  Familiarity information: HARDWARE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HARDWARE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Major items of military weaponry (as tanks or missile)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("hardware" is a kind of...):

arms; implements of war; munition; weaponry; weapons system (weapons considered collectively)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Instrumentalities (tools or implements) made of metal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

hardware; ironware

Hypernyms ("hardware" is a kind of...):

instrumentality; instrumentation (an artifact (or system of artifacts) that is instrumental in accomplishing some end)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(computer science) the mechanical, magnetic, electronic, and electrical components making up a computer system

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

computer hardware; hardware

Hypernyms ("hardware" is a kind of...):

component; constituent; element (an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system)

Domain category:

computer science; computing (the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "hardware"):

C.P.U.; central processing unit; central processor; CPU; mainframe; processor ((computer science) the part of a computer (a microprocessor chip) that does most of the data processing)

computer memory; computer storage; memory; memory board; storage; store (an electronic memory device)

scheduler (computer hardware that arranges jobs to be done by the computer in an appropriate order)

sequencer (computer hardware that sorts data or programs into a predetermined sequence)

upgrade (hardware that provides better performance than an earlier version did)

Holonyms ("hardware" is a part of...):

computer; computing device; computing machine; data processor; electronic computer; information processing system (a machine for performing calculations automatically)

Antonym:

software ((computer science) written programs or procedures or rules and associated documentation pertaining to the operation of a computer system and that are stored in read/write memory)

 Context examples 

The act of specifying the operational and physical requirements, respectively, for the software and hardware of an in vitro diagnostic device.

(Design and Specification of Software Platform or Architecture for in Vitro Diagnostics Device, NCI Thesaurus)

Testing of individual hardware or software components or groups of related units.

(Device Unit Testing Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)

The use of a piece of hardware with the requisite Parameters and ParameterValues.

(Hardware Application, NCI Thesaurus)

Issue associated with the absence of any part, substance, software, hardware, or raw material that is designed to be put together as part of the finished device or product.

(Medical Device Component Missing, Food and Drug Administration)

But I know nothing about hardware.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A set of hardware and software which processes data in a meaningful way.

(Computer System, NCI Thesaurus)

A system of hardware, software, and geographic data designed to capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze and display data that are linked to location.

(Geographic Information System, NCI Thesaurus)

A defined list of characters recognized by the computer hardware and software.

(Character Set, NCI Thesaurus)

NIH Emphasis Area — Recent advances in basic biology, genetics, diagnosis, and health care have all been closely linked to the development of new research instruments and computer hardware and software.

(Computers and Advanced Instrumentation, NCI Thesaurus)

He noted, "the army modernization does not just cover buying 'hardware' but technology transfer as well."

(Hungarian state-owned enterprise acquires Hirtenberger Defence Group, Wikinews)