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Synonyms

CPU

American  

abbreviation

Computers.

  1. central processing unit: the key component of a computer system, which contains the circuitry necessary to interpret and execute program instructions.

CPU British  

abbreviation

  1. central processing unit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
CPU Scientific  

  1. Abbreviation of central processing unit

CPU Cultural  

  1. An abbreviation for c entral p rocessing u nit. The “brain” of a computer, the CPU is where data manipulation actually takes place. The results of these manipulations are then stored in the computer memory. Microprocessors perform this function in personal computers.

Etymology

Origin of CPU

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For decades, Arm has made money by licensing its CPU architecture to bigger companies such as Nvidia and Qualcomm, which use it to create CPUs that they sell to others.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Arm’s upcoming CPU will target non-mission-critical and on-premises applications in data centers.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Nvidia, a major customer for Arm’s basic designs, is stepping up its own CPU efforts in a big way.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Arm expects its AGI CPU to generate $15 billion in annual revenue by fiscal 2031.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

“I emailed. Sent a picture of CPU and Boo. I wanted to visit, but until I got approved, they wouldn’t tell me where you were.”

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.