Standard Lemma guide

mainframe

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈmeɪnˌfɹeɪm/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M EY1 N F R EY2 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computer-hardware, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: maxicomputer, maxi

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A computer chassis that hosts and interconnects modules that perform various tasks.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computer-hardware, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The main frame of a vehicle etc., more commonly main frame.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

(computer science) the part of a computer (a microprocessor chip) that does most of the data processing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the CPU and the memory form the central part of a computer to which the peripherals are attached

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: central processing unit, CPU, C.P.U., central processor, processor

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: electronic equipment, hardware, computer hardware

5

noun

Meaning 5

a large digital computer serving 100-400 users and occupying a special air-conditioned room

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mainframe computer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: digital computer

Narrower terms: supercomputer

History

Etymology

From main + frame.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: мейнфрейм компютър (mejnfrejm kompjutǎr) — large computer
  • Bulgarian: мейнфрейм (mejnfrejm) — large computer
  • Chinese Mandarin: 主機 /主机 (zhǔjī) — large computer
  • Esperanto: ĉeforgano — large computer
  • Esperanto: ĉefa komputilo — large computer
  • Esperanto: ĉefkomputilo — large computer
  • Esperanto: komputilego — large computer
  • Finnish: suurtietokone — large computer
  • Finnish: keskustietokone — large computer
  • German: Großrechner — large computer
  • Greek: μεγαλόσχημος (megalóschimos) — large computer
  • Hungarian: nagygép — large computer
  • Hungarian: nagyszámítógép — large computer
  • Italian: mainframe — large computer
  • Japanese: メインフレーム (meinfurēmu) — large computer
  • Kazakh: мэйнфрейм (méinfreim) — large computer
  • Korean: 메인프레임 (meinpeureim) — large computer
  • Norwegian: stormaskin — large computer
  • Polish: mainframe — large computer
  • Portuguese: mainframe — large computer
  • Russian: мейнфрейм (mejnfrejm) — large computer
  • Russian: мэйнфрейм (mɛjnfrejm) — large computer
  • Spanish: mainframe — large computer
  • Spanish: unidad computadora central — large computer
  • Swedish: stordator — large computer
  • Turkish: anabilgisayar — large computer
  • Vietnamese: máy tính lớn — large computer