instruction register


instruction register

[in′strək·shən ‚rej·ə·stər] (computer science) A hardware element that receives and holds an instruction as it is extracted from memory; the register either contains or is connected to circuits that interpret the instruction (or discover its meaning). Also known as current-instruction register.

instruction register

A high-speed circuit that holds an instruction for decoding and execution. See program counter and instruction set.