Cisc
/ˈsɪsk/noun
Acronym for complex instruction set computer, a processor architecture designed to execute many relatively complex instructions.
Did you know?CISC became a defining architectural idea during the 1970s and 1980s, when hardware designers debated whether computers should use many powerful instructions or a smaller set of simpler ones.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
complexus
“Entwined, encompassing, or made up of interconnected parts; the source of English complex.”
Classical Latin
Latin
instruere
“To build, arrange, or equip; the source of English instruct and instruction.”
Late Latin
Latin
computare
“To reckon or calculate together; the source of English compute and computer.”
1970s
English
CISC
“Abbreviation for complex instruction set computer, coined in contrast with the emerging RISC design philosophy.”
Modern English
English
CISC
“A processor architecture using a comparatively large and varied set of machine instructions, often capable of complex operations.”