–noun

1.	Also called processor. an electronic device designed to accept data, perform prescribed mathematical and logical operations at high speed, and display the results of these operations. Compare analog computer, digital computer.

2.	a person who computes; computist.

–noun

1.	a piece of work, esp. a specific task done as part of the routine of one's occupation or for an agreed price: She gave him the job of mowing the lawn.

2.	a post of employment; full-time or part-time position: She was seeking a job as an editor.

3.	anything a person is expected or obliged to do; duty; responsibility: It is your job to be on time.

4.	an affair, matter, occurrence, or state of affairs: to make the best of a bad job.

5.	the material, project, assignment, etc., being worked upon: The housing project was a long and costly job.

6.	the process or requirements, details, etc., of working: It was a tedious job.

7.	the execution or performance of a task: She did a good job.

8.	Slang. a theft or similar criminal action: The police caught the gang that pulled that bank job.

9.	a public or official act or decision carried through for the sake of improper private gain.

10.	Slang. an example of a specific or distinctive type: 146 That little six-cylinder job was the best car I ever owned.

11.	Computers. a unit of work for a computer, generally comprising an application program o d8c r group of related programs and the data, linkages, and instructions to the operating system needed for running the programs.

–verb (used without object)

12.	to work at jobs or odd pieces of work; work by the piece.

13.	to do business as a jobber.

14.	to turn public business, planning, etc., improperly to private gain.

–verb (used with object)

15.	to assign or give (work, a contract for work, etc.) in separate portions, as among different contractors or workers (often fol. by out): He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits.

16.	to buy in large quantities, as from wholesalers or manufacturers, and sell to dealers in smaller quantities: He jobs shoes in Ohio and Indiana.

17.	to get rid of or dispose of: His party jobbed him when he sought a second term in office.

18.	to swindle or trick (someone): They jobbed him out of his property.

19.	to carry on (public or official business) for improper private gain.

–adjective

20.	of or for a particular job or transaction.

21.	bought, sold, or handled together: He's too big a customer to buy in less than job quantities.

—Idioms

22.	do a job on, Slang. a. to destroy, defeat, damage, or confound thoroughly: The thugs did a job on him—he'll be in the hospital for a month. b. to deceive, persuade, or charm glibly; snow.

23.	on the job, alert; observant: The cops were on the job and caught them red-handed.

–verb (used with object)

1.	to go or look throu 314 gh (a place, area, etc.) carefully in order to find something missing or lost: They searched the woods for the missing child. I searched the desk for the letter.

2.	to look at or examine (a person, object, etc.) carefully in order to find something concealed: He searched the vase for signs of a crack. The police searched the suspect for weapons.

3.	to explore or examine in order to discover: They searched the hills for gold.

4.	to look at, read, d46 or examine (a record, writing, collection, repository, etc.) for information: to search a property title; He searched the courthouse for a record of the deed to the land.

5.	to look at or beneath the superficial aspects of to discover a motive, reaction, feeling, basic truth, etc.: He searched her face for a clue to her true feelings.

6.	to look into, question, or scrutinize: She searched her conscience.

7.	(of natural elements) to pierce or penetrate: The sunlight searched the room's dark corners.

8.	to uncover or find by examination or exploration (often fol. by out): to search out all the facts.

9.	Military. to fire artillery over (an area) with successive changes in gun elevation.

10.	Computers. to examine (one or more files, as databases or texts) electronically, to locate specified items.

–verb (used without object)

11.	to inquire, investigate, examine, or seek; conduct an examination or investigation.

–noun

12.	an act or instance of searching; careful examination or investigation.

13.	the practice, on the part of naval officers of a belligerent nation, of boarding and examining a suspected neutral vessel at sea in order to ascertain its true nationality and determine if it is carrying contraband: the right of visit and search.

—Idiom

14.	search me, I don't know: Why has it taken so long to reach a decision? Search me.