Overclocks

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To enhance the performance of a computer's CPU by operating it at a higher frequency than specified
2. The act of improving computational efficiency by altering the clock speed of processor units beyond manufacturer guidelines
3. To cause a processor to function at a speed greater than its factory setting to boost performance

Etymology: "Overclocks" is the third-person singular present form of the verb "overclock," so the root is the verb itself. That verb is built from the prefix "over-," meaning beyond or in excess, attached to "clock," which in computing refers to the regular electronic pulse that sets the pace of a processor's operations. To overclock a chip is therefore to drive that pulse faster than the manufacturer intended, pushing the processor to work beyond its rated speed.

Synonyms: accelerates, boosts, enhances, speeds up, overdrives

Antonyms: slows down, decelerates, reduces, limits, downshifts