RISC
/rɪsk/noun
A computer-processor design approach using a small set of simple instructions that can execute rapidly.
Did you know?RISC is not an inherited natural-language word but a technical acronym coined during the 1980s debate over whether simpler processor instructions could outperform complex ones.
Etymological Timeline
1970s
English
IBM 801
“An experimental processor project that helped establish the practical principles later associated with reduced-instruction computing.”
1980
English
RISC
“The term became prominent through David Patterson and Carlo Séquin’s work at the University of California, Berkeley.”
1981
English
Reduced Instruction Set Computer
“The expanded form of the acronym, describing a processor built around a relatively small collection of simple machine instructions.”
1985
English
RISC
“Commercial implementations appeared, including the Acorn ARM processor and Hewlett-Packard’s PA-RISC.”
Modern English
English
RISC
“A major processor-design philosophy used in systems including ARM-based phones, tablets, servers, and embedded devices.”
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