microinstructionn.
/ˈmʌɪkrəʊɪnˌstrʌkʃn/, U.S. /ˈmaɪkroʊᵻnˌstrəkʃ(ə)n/ Computing.
Each of a sequence of instructions executed by a computer in response to a more comprehensive instruction; spec. such an instruction corresponding to one of the smallest, most elementary operations that can occur in the computer and is produced in accordance with a microprogram.
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society > computing and information technology > programming language > program or code > [noun] > instruction > micro
micro-order1951
microinstruction1959
1959 E. M. Grabbe et al. Handbk. Automation, Computation, & Control II. ii. 254 Many macroinstructions can be constructed from properly sequenced microinstructions.
1964 T. W. McRae Impact Computers on Accounting i. 24 This problem has been solved by programmers devising..autocodes so that a single macroinstruction written down by the programmer generates the required set of microinstructions during translation by the computer from the autocode to the absolute machine code.
1969 P. B. Jordain Condensed Computer Encycl. 318 Each micro~instruction is coded as several bits, one bit for each functional unit or data path in the computer hardware. The one-for-one correspondence between bit positions and functional units allows for very simple interpretation of each microinstruction.
1993 Proc. Internat. Joint Conf. Neural Networks 2 1968 We adopted a horizontal microinstruction format for high performance.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1959