motherboard

[ muhth-er-bawrd, -bohrd ]

noun

, Computers.

1. a rigid, slotted board upon which other boards that contain the basic circuitry of a computer or of a computer component can be mounted. Compare board ( def 14 ).

motherboard

/ ˈmʌðəˌbɔːd /

noun

1. (in an electronic system) a printed circuit board through which signals between all other boards are routed

motherboard

/ mŭth′ər-bôrd′ /

1. The main circuit board of a computer, usually containing the central processing unit and main system memory as well as circuitry that controls the disk drives, keyboard, monitor, and other peripheral devices.

Word History and Origins

Origin of motherboard¹

mother ¹ + board

Example Sentences

She did not answer their questions and stood there like a robot whose motherboard had shorted out.

From Salon

Entertainment Weekly’s Leah Greenblatt wrote in her review that, “This is not the morose, carnage-soaked horror of dank basements and clammy night terrors; most of the movie happens in bright daylight, every maniacal head tilt, ungodly hip swivel, and murder-by-gardening-tool calibrated for screams that end not with a gasp but a giggle. M3GAN came to play, and possibly reboot her motherboard for a sequel. Are you not entertained?”

From Seattle Times

Under its former name as X-Mode, Outlogic is also the company that was exposed in a 2020 investigation by Motherboard’s Joseph Cox for selling users’ personal data to the U.S. military.

From Salon

At the back of the workshop, Lukas, a technician, checks out the motherboard of an old laptop.

From BBC

In photos Awni shared on his own Facebook page, he stands in front of a blackboard holding up a computer motherboard to fellow students, as he leads a technology lesson organised as part of a "little teachers" scheme.

From BBC

Related Words

• microchip