- hardware
- hardware hard‧ware [ˈhɑːdweə ǁ ˈhɑːrdwer] noun [uncountable]1. COMPUTING computer equipment, rather than the programs that make it work:
• Unix runs on most types of computer hardware.
• An upgrade (= improvement ) in our hardware helped us cope with an expected rise in demand.
— compare firmware, software2. equipment and tools for homes and gardens:• If the housing market is strong, hardware and electrical products benefit.
3. the machinery and equipment needed to do something:• the shipment of US tanks and other military hardware to Saudi Arabia
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hardware UK US /ˈhɑːdweər/ noun [U]► IT the physical and electronic parts of a computer or other piece of equipment, rather than its software: »The growth of the computer and consumer electronics industries is driven by a steady stream of advances in both hardware and software.
»Its primary product is networking hardware.
► metal tools, materials, and equipment, such as hammers and nails: »Environmental protection has increasingly affected the production of building materials and hardware.
»If we make it easier for the hardware stores to sell our products, that helps us.
► equipment, especially for industrial or military use: »The company's principal lines of business are air compressors, architectural hardware products, and construction equipment.
»The modern-day battlefield is more congested than ever before with aircraft and military hardware.
Financial and business terms. 2012.