# Turing machine

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. An abstract computing machine that has a finite number of possible internal states and operates on an infinite memory tape by first reading a symbol from a cell in the tape, and then, deterministically, based on that symbol and the machine’s state, writing a symbol in that cell, moving to a neighboring cell, and/or changing state.

## Etymology
Named after English mathematician, logician, and cryptographer Alan Turing (1912–1954), who introduced the concept in 1936 to give a mathematically precise definition of computability.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/turing-machine