an interface between a computer and a printer where the computer sends multiple bits of information to the printer simultaneously; parallel interface
Microsoft Computer Dictionary
n. An input/output connector that sends and receives data 8 bits at a time, in parallel, between a computer and a peripheral device such as a printer, scanner, CD-ROM, or other storage device. The parallel port, often called a Centronics interface after the original design standard, uses a 25-pin connector called a DB-25 connector that includes three groups of lines: four for control signals, five for status signals, and eight for data. See also Centronics parallel interface, ECP, EPP, IEEE 1284, input/output port. Compare serial port.
