visual display terminal
C1Formal, Technical, Historical
Definition
Meaning
A computer output device that presents information in a visual, typically text-based or graphical format on a screen.
Historically, a dedicated hardware unit combining a display screen and keyboard for interacting with a mainframe or minicomputer; now often used synonymously with 'computer monitor' or 'display screen' in certain technical contexts, though the term is largely outdated.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term strongly evokes the era of centralised computing (1970s-1980s). It implies a subordinate, 'dumb' device dependent on a remote host computer, unlike a modern personal computer. Often abbreviated to 'VDT'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical, though the term is slightly more prevalent in historical British technical documentation (e.g., Post Office, British Telecom).
Connotations
Carries a dated, institutional connotation in both variants. In workplace safety contexts, it may still be used formally (e.g., 'VDT ergonomics').
Frequency
Very low frequency in contemporary usage. Almost entirely supplanted by 'monitor', 'screen', 'display', or 'workstation'.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The [OPERATOR] accessed the [DATABASE] via the visual display terminal.The [MAINFRAME] supported up to [NUMBER] simultaneous visual display terminals.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Chained to a VDT”
- “A sea of terminals”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Largely obsolete. May appear in legacy system documentation or discussions of workplace equipment history.
Academic
Used in historical or sociological studies of technology, computer history, or ergonomics research.
Everyday
Extremely rare. An older person might use it refer to an old computer setup.
Technical
The most likely modern context, but still dated. Might be used by engineers discussing legacy hardware interfaces.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- The operator input the commands at the visual display terminal.
- Health and safety regulations covered prolonged use of visual display terminals.
American English
- The data entry clerk worked from a visual display terminal connected to the central system.
- The old visual display terminal had an amber phosphor screen.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- In the old films, people used big computers with visual display terminals.
- Before personal computers, employees accessed the company database through dedicated visual display terminals.
- The study analysed the ergonomic impact of early visual display terminals on data entry clerks, noting the prevalence of repetitive strain injuries.
- The architectural design of the 1970s trading floor was dominated by rows of visual display terminals linked to the mainframe.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a VISUAL DISPLAY (like a screen) that was your TERMINAL (end point) for connecting to a big, distant computer. V-D-T.
Conceptual Metaphor
A WINDOW into the mainframe. A REMOTE CONTROL for a large computer.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating as 'визуальный терминал' – it's an unnatural calque. The standard term is 'дисплейный терминал', 'терминал', or 'монитор'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it to refer to a modern laptop or all-in-one PC. Confusing it with 'visual display unit' (VDU), which is the British equivalent.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a key characteristic of a classic 'visual display terminal'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Conceptually similar as an output device, but a VDT historically referred to the complete unit (screen + keyboard) used to communicate with a central computer, lacking its own significant processing power, whereas a modern monitor is just a display peripheral.
VDT (Visual Display Terminal) and VDU (Visual Display Unit) are essentially synonyms. VDT is more common in American English, while VDU was traditionally preferred in British English.
The term was most prevalent from the late 1960s through the 1980s, during the era of mainframe and minicomputer dominance, before the widespread adoption of the personal computer.
It would sound anachronistic. Use 'monitor', 'display', 'screen', 'thin client', or 'terminal' (in a server context) instead, depending on the specific meaning.