original equipment manufacturer: Meaning and Definition of

orig'inal equip'ment manufac"turer

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a firm that purchases complex equipment, as computers, from manufacturers and modifies or combines different components for resale.
  2. a firm that manufactures components or parts included in the finished product made by another. Abbr.: OEM
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.