| Noun | 1. | hardware - major items of military weaponry (as tanks or missile) armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker" |
| 2. | hardware - instrumentalities (tools or implements) made of metalinstrumentation, instrumentality - an artifact (or system of artifacts) that is instrumental in accomplishing some end | |
| 3. | hardware - (computer science) the mechanical, magnetic, electronic, and electrical components making up a computer systemC.P.U., central processing unit, central processor, CPU, mainframe, processor - (computer science) the part of a computer (a microprocessor chip) that does most of the data processing; "the CPU and the memory form the central part of a computer to which the peripherals are attached" constituent, element, component - an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system; "spare components for cars"; "a component or constituent element of a system" computer, computing device, computing machine, data processor, electronic computer, information processing system - a machine for performing calculations automatically computer memory, computer storage, memory board, store, memory, storage - an electronic memory device; "a memory and the CPU form the central part of a computer to which peripherals are attached" scheduler - computer hardware that arranges jobs to be done by the computer in an appropriate order sequencer - computer hardware that sorts data or programs into a predetermined sequence upgrade - hardware that provides better performance than an earlier version did computer science, computing - the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures software, software package, software program, software system, computer software, package - (computer science) written programs or procedures or rules and associated documentation pertaining to the operation of a computer system and that are stored in read/write memory; "the market for software is expected to expand" |