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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.

First, chip designer Arm Holdings revealed its first-ever data-center central processing unit, or CPU, last week.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 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

Cloudflare, SAP, and two other companies also signed on as customers for general-purpose CPU applications.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Long known for drawing up blueprints for chips that require less energy than others, Arm said its AGI CPU is twice as efficient as equivalent processors made by competitors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

CPU jumps onto the couch and curls up next to me.

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.