Adjacent Words

operating system definitions

	Tweet

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: (computer science) software that controls the execution of computer programs and may provide various services [syn: operating system, OS]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1961 software that controls the operation of a computer and directs the processing of programs (as by assigning storage space in memory and controlling input and output functions)

Britannica Concise

(OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. Its roles include managing the functioning of the computer hardware, running the applications programs, serving as an interface between the computer and the user, and allocating computer resources to various functions. When several jobs reside in the computer simultaneously and share resources (multitasking), the OS allocates fixed amounts of CPU time and memory in turn, or allows one job to read data while another writes to a printer and still another performs computations. Through a process called time-sharing, a large computer can handle interaction with hundreds of users simultaneously, giving each the perception of being the sole user. Modern computer operating systems are becoming increasingly machine-independent, capable of running on any hardware platform; a widely used platform-independent operating system in use today is UNIX. Most personal computers run on Microsoft's Windows operating system, which grew out of and eventually replaced MS-DOS. See also Linux.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(operating systems) The operating system of a computer is its most basic program, which it needs in order to function and run other programs. (COMPUTING) N-COUNT