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
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Digging through the Amazon Q mainframe modernization functions in more detail, this tool handles code analysis, planning and application refactoring.
—Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
Its infrastructure revenue was down 7%, to $3.04 billion, ahead of the 2025 release of a new mainframe.
—Byandrew Nusca, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
The mainframe computer, the personal computer, the Internet, data science, machine learning, and large language models have made possible astounding advances in scientific research, communication, education, public health, and a thousand other realms of human endeavor.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
There’s also the sort of correlative idea that modern mainframes can be useful in hosting LLMs and related systems.
—John Werner, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mainframe 
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Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
Its infrastructure revenue was down 7%, to $3.04 billion, ahead of the 2025 release of a new mainframe.
—Byandrew Nusca, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
The mainframe computer, the personal computer, the Internet, data science, machine learning, and large language models have made possible astounding advances in scientific research, communication, education, public health, and a thousand other realms of human endeavor.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
There’s also the sort of correlative idea that modern mainframes can be useful in hosting LLMs and related systems.
—John Werner, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mainframe
Dictionary Entries Near mainframe
Cite this Entry
“Mainframe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mainframe. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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mainframe
noun
main·frame
ˈmān-ˌfrām
: a large fast computer that can do many jobs at once
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