DictionaryAI

compute

Saykuhm-PYOOTUS/kəmˈpjut//kəmˈpjuːt/AUS/kəmˈpjʉːt/

Formscomputes, computing, computed

3 meanings of compute

Practice

  1. 1
    verbtransitive
    To find a number or answer by doing math.

    Like adding up the prices in a shopping cart to see what you owe.

    The teacher asked us to compute the total cost.

    Can you compute how much paint we need for these walls?

    Similarcalculate, determine, reckon

    Note
  2. 2
    noununcountable
    The power that computers use to run programs and handle tasks.

    Like electric power for a machine: the more it has, the more work it can do.

    Training the model used a lot of compute.

    The company rented extra compute to handle the busy season.

    Note
  3. 3
    verbcolloquialintransitive
    To make sense. Often used in the negative, when something seems strange or wrong.

    Like a math problem with an answer that just doesn't add up.

    Her excuse just does not compute.

    None of his numbers compute, so we asked him to explain.

    Note

Practice

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Origin

English took this word from French in the 1600s. It goes back to the Latin word computō, meaning 'to calculate'.