supercomputer
/ˌsuːpəkəmpˈjuːtə/soo-pur-kuhm-PYOO-tur
/ˌsupɚkəmpˈjutɚ/soo-pur-kuhm-PYOO-tur
Meaninga beyond-computer
Common meaning: an extremely powerful computer
- superover, above
- comwith, together
- putto tidy or prune; to reckon, thinkLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1495 · scan
- eragent ending: one who
‘over, above’ + ‘with, together’ + ‘to tidy or prune’ → supercomputer
Journey through time
- Latinputō, putāre‘to tidy or prune’
- Englishsupercomputer‘an extremely powerful computer’ · today
super- also in: supervenesupervisesuperficialsuperfluoussuperintend
com- also in: compelcombustcomfortcommandcommend
put also in: computecomputercomputablecomputation
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Latin putō ‘to tidy or prune; to reckon, think’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry putō, p. 1495 · dictionary scan
Roots
- putō, putāre Latin “to tidy or prune; to reckon, think”
Related words
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