Meanings
nounmodem (plural modems)
plural modems
- computingA device that encodes digital computer signals into analog telephone signals and vice versa, allowing computers to communicate over a phone line.
Choose and rent, over PC and modem and fiber-optic line, from tens of thousands of second-run films, documentaries, the occasional sport, old beloved non—‘Happy Days’ programs, wholly new programs, cultural stuff, and c.[…]
1996, David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest […], Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 416
verbmodem (third-person singular simple present modems, present participle modeming or modemming, simple past and past participle modemed or modemmed)
present singular third person modems · participle present modeming · participle present modemming · participle past modemed · past modemed · participle past modemmed · past modemmed
- To transmit by modem.
“Books” can even be faxed or modemed to you!
1994, Carole Marsh, Jurassic Ark! Alaska Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures, page 72 more examples
Personal modeming is most prevalent in the U.S., where a modem generally doesn't have huge taxes slapped on it, and after-tax income is comparatively high.
1992, Jim Kimble, How to get started with modems, page 73He had to modem in to the agency and say that there was an emergency […]
1996, David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest […], Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 19
Origin
Clipping of modulator-demodulator.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Arabic مُودِم, مُودِم
- مُودِم (mūdim)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
- مُودِم (modem)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Bengali মডেম
- মডেম (moḍem)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Bulgarian модем
- модем (modem)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Catalan mòdem
- mòdemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Chinese Mandarin 調制解調器 /调制解调器, 數據機 /数据机
- 調制解調器 /调制解调器 (tiáozhìjiětiáoqì)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
- 數據機 /数据机 (shùjùjī)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Czech modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Dutch modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Esperanto modemo
- modemodevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Estonian modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Finnish modeemi
- modeemidevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
French modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
German Modem
- Modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Greek διαποδιαμορφωτής, μοντέμ
- διαποδιαμορφωτής (diapodiamorfotís)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
- μοντέμ (montém)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Hebrew מוֹדֶם
- מוֹדֶם (módem)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Hindi मॉडेम
- मॉडेम (mŏḍem)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Hungarian modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Indonesian modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Italian modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Japanese モデム
- モデム (modemu)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Korean 모뎀
- 모뎀 (modem)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Latvian modems
- modemsdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Lithuanian modemas
- modemasdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Malay modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Māori pouwhanga
- pouwhangadevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Persian مودم
- مودم (môdem)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Polish modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Portuguese modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Romanian modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Russian моде́м
- моде́м (modɛ́m)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Slovak modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Spanish módem, modem
- módemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Swahili modemu
- modemudevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Swedish modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Thai โมเด็ม
- โมเด็ม (moh-dem)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Turkish modem
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Ukrainian моде́м
- моде́м (modém)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Urdu موڈیم
- موڈیم (moḍem)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Vietnamese modem, bộ điều giải
- modemdevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
- bộ điều giảidevice that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Yiddish מאָדעם
- מאָדעם (modem)device that encodes digital computer signals into analog/analogue telephone signals
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
modem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modem
MLA
“modem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modem. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “modem,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modem.
Source: modem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.