minicomputer
/ˈmɪniˌkəmˈpjutər/
noun
- A computer that is smaller and less powerful than a mainframe but larger than a personal computer, used mainly in the 1960s–1980s for business and scientific tasks.
- Engineers programmed the minicomputer to control the factory's assembly line.
- In the 1970s, many universities used minicomputers for research and data processing.
- The minicomputer was an important step between huge mainframes and desktop PCs.