From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Hardware \Hard"ware'\ (h[aum]rd"w[^a]r'), noun
1. Ware made of metal, as cutlery, kitchen utensils, and the like; ironmongery.
2. Any of the physical objects used in carrying out an activity, in contrast to the knowledge, skill, or theory required to perform the activity; mostly used collectively. [PJC]
3. Specifically: (Computers) The sum of all the physical objects, such as the electrical, mechanical, and electronic devices which comprise a computer system; as, the typical PC hardware suite consists of a mainboard and a number of peripherals such as hard drives and speakers, connected by adapter cards, but the input and output from users occurs mostly through the keyboard and monitor; contrasted with {software}, the programs executed by the computer. [PJC]
4. Specifically: (Military) The weapons, transport, and other physical objects used in conducting a war. [PJC]
5. (Slang) Weapons, especially handguns, carried on the person; as, check your hardware at the door before entering. [PJC]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: major items of military weaponry (as tanks or missile)
2: instrumentalities (tools or implements) made of metal [syn: {ironware}]
3: (computer science) the mechanical, magnetic, electronic, and electrical components making up a computer system [syn: {computer hardware}] [ant: {software}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
46 Moby Thesaurus words for "hardware": appliances, armaments, arms, brassware, chinaware, clayware, components, computer, computer hardware, computer unit, copperware, devices, dinnerware, durable goods, durables, earthenware, electronic brain, electronic computer, enamelware, fixtures, flatware, glassware, graniteware, hard goods, hollow ware, housefurnishings, housewares, information machine, ironmongery, ironware, kitchenware, machinery, materiel, metalware, munitions, ovenware, silverware, sporting goods, stoneware, tableware, thinking machine, tinware, tools, tools and machinery, white goods, woodenware
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:
hardware The physical, touchable, material parts of a computer or other system. The term is used to distinguish these fixed parts of a system from the more changable {software} or {data} components which it executes, stores, or carries. Computer hardware typically consists chiefly of electronic devices ({CPU}, {memory}, {display}) with some electromechanical parts (keyboard, {printer}, {disk drives}, {tape drives}, loudspeakers) for input, output, and storage, though completely non-electronic (mechanical, electromechanical, hydraulic, biological) computers have also been conceived of and built. See also {firmware}, {wetware}. (1997-01-23)
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