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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.

“Hey, Hank,” Ray says, and then whispers to the dog: “Enough, CPU.”

From Literature

If Intel is seeing high demand for processors but can’t manufacture enough chips to fulfill that demand, AMD’s results should benefit as its business accounts for the rest of the CPU market.

From Barron's

Optimism about Intel’s CPU momentum — and potential signs of life in the company’s manufacturing business — have recently made the stock a winner.

From MarketWatch

KeyBanc upgraded Intel and AMD to Overweight, citing strong server CPU sales for the year due to artificial intelligence infrastructure demand.

From Barron's

The CPU proposal would see membership linked directly to birth registration, so library cards would be waiting for newborns at their local library.

From BBC

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.