hybrid computer: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowSpecialized/Technical
Quick answer
What does “hybrid computer” mean?
A computer system that combines both analogue and digital components to perform tasks.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A computer system that combines both analogue and digital components to perform tasks.
A system designed to leverage the continuous signal processing of analogue computers with the discrete logic, storage, and programmability of digital computers for optimal performance in specific applications such as real-time simulation or complex scientific modelling.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage; term is consistent in technical English.
Connotations
Technical, precise, historically significant.
Frequency
Equally rare in both varieties, used only in specific engineering and computing history contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “hybrid computer” in a Sentence
N of N (a hybrid of analogue and digital computers)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hybrid computer” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- The hybrid-computer approach was groundbreaking for its time.
American English
- The research required a hybrid computer solution.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in history of computing, specific engineering, or simulation literature.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Primary domain. Refers to a specific class of machines used for tasks like flight simulation or process control where continuous inputs need real-time digital analysis.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hybrid computer”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “hybrid computer”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hybrid computer”
- Using it to describe a laptop that converts into a tablet (that is a '2-in-1' or 'convertible').
- Using it as a synonym for 'versatile computer'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Modern laptops are purely digital computers. The term 'hybrid computer' refers to a specific historical architecture combining analogue and digital processing elements.
They were used in specialised fields like real-time process control, flight simulation, and scientific modelling in the mid-20th century, before digital computers became sufficiently fast.
Its ability to handle continuous (analogue) inputs and model real-world systems directly, while using a digital component for control, logic, and data storage.
Rarely. Their functionality is largely emulated by powerful, specialised digital computers. The term is now mostly of historical interest.
A computer system that combines both analogue and digital components to perform tasks.
Hybrid computer is usually specialized/technical in register.
Hybrid computer: in British English it is pronounced /ˌhaɪ.brɪd kəmˈpjuː.tər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌhaɪ.brɪd kəmˈpjuː.t̬ɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The best of both worlds (conceptual, not lexical)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
HYBRID computer: Has Both digital and analogue sides.
Conceptual Metaphor
BRIDGE (spanning the gap between two different computational worlds)
Practice
Quiz
What is a hybrid computer?