/ ˈɑːkɪtektʃə(r); NAmE ˈɑːrk-/ noun
1.
[ U ] the art and study of designing buildings :
to study architecture
2.
[ U ] the design or style of a building or buildings :
the architecture of the eighteenth century
modern architecture
3.
[ C , U ] ( computing ) the design and structure of a computer system
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent.: from Latin architectura , from architectus from Greek arkhitektōn , from arkhi- chief + tektōn builder.