hardware

Meaning

1. Fixtures, equipment, tools and devices used for general-purpose construction and repair of a structure or object. Also such equipment as sold as stock by a store of the same name, e.g. hardware store.
2. (informal) Equipment.
3. The part of a computer that is fixed and cannot be altered without replacement or physical modification; motherboard, expansion cards, etc. Compare software.
4. Electronic equipment.
5. Metal implements.
6. (slang) A firearm.
7. (slang) Medals or trophies.
8. Short for hardware store.

Synonyms

equipment

machinery

ironware

metalware

computer hardware

hard

material

H

H

organizational

armament

hard-wired

instrumentation

ironmongery

kit

mechanical equipment

metal fittings

metals

nails

redoubt

rig

setup

utensils

weaponry

wires

HW

hardware goods

matériel

accessories

bolts and locks

accouterment

accoutrement

apparatus

armory

arsenal

devices

facilities

final product

gear

⚙️

hinges

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhɑːdˌwɛə/

Etymology

From Middle English hardware; equivalent to hard + -ware; attested since the mid-15th century.