word size
BASE MEMORY UNIT HANDLED BY A COMPUTER
Computer word; Word size; Word length; Wordlength; 10-bit; Halfword; Dword (Computer); Qword; Machine word; DWORD; DWord; Dword; Data word; Double word; Word orientation; Word-oriented; Word oriented; Word (unit); Word (data type); Word width; Memory word; Bitness; Binary word; Variable word-length computer; Variable word-length architecture; Variable word-length machine; Variable word length architecture; Variable word length computer; Variable word length machine; Variable word architecture; Variable word-length (computer hardware); Variable word length (computer hardware); 32-bit word; 32bit word; Catena (unit); Catena (computing); Catenae (unit); Catenae (computing); Storage word; 16-bit word; 16 bit word; 32 bit word; 48-bit word; 48 bit word; 51 bit word; 51-bit word; 60-bit word; 60 bit word; 64 bit word; 64-bit word; 96 bit word; 96-bit word; Word size (computing); Quarterword; Variable word length; Fullword; Kiloword
<
processor> The number of bits that a
CPU can process at one
time. Processors with many different
word sizes have existed
though powers of two (8, 16, 32, 64) have predominated for
many years. A processor's
word size is often equal to the
width of its external data bus though sometimes the bus is
made narrower than the CPU (often half as many bits) to
economise on packaging and circuit board costs.
(1995-04-23)