Modems

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device that encodes and decodes digital data for transmission across communication lines; a component that allows computers to connect to the internet by converting signals; a piece of hardware facilitating data exchange between networks and users through telephone or cable systems
2. An apparatus that transforms digital signals into analog for transmission over phone lines; equipment enabling internet access that converts encoded signals; a hardware interface that connects computing devices through various media by modulating and demodulating signals
3. A gadget that enables digital communication by modulating signals for transmission and demodulating received signals; a device essential for connecting users to the internet by processing data; hardware that facilitates the exchange of information between different technologies via telecommunication lines

Etymology: "Modems" is the plural of "modem," which is itself a clipping of "modulator-demodulator." The device does two jobs in one box: it modulates outgoing digital data onto a signal suited to a telephone or cable line, and demodulates incoming signals back into data a computer can read. Squeezing that long compound into a single handy syllable pair is the whole origin of the name.