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GPU

1 American  
[gey-pey-oo, jee-pee-yoo] / ˈgeɪˌpeɪˈu, ˈdʒiˌpiˈju /
Or G.P.U.

abbreviation

  1. (in the Soviet Union) the secret-police organization (1922–23) functioning under the NKVD.


GPU 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. General Postal Union. See Universal Postal Union.


GPU 3 American  

abbreviation

Computers.
  1. graphics processing unit: a secondary processor usually dedicated to performing the calculations necessary for producing computer graphics, lessening the burden on the main processor.


GPU British  

abbreviation

  1. State Political Administration; the Soviet police and secret police from 1922 to 1923

"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

Etymology

Origin of GPU1

From Russian G(osudárstvennoe) p(olitícheskoe) u(pravlénie) “state political directorate”

Origin of GPU3

First recorded in 1970–75

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.

See Examples For:

CoreWeave looks like “the company that can deliver significant GPU capacity on time and at spec,” he said, referring to specification, which indicates a chip’s task and performance.

From MarketWatch Sep. 18, 2026

However, “demand for GPU time is surging to record levels,” McPeake said in a Thursday note to clients, referring to the process by which neocloud customers rent computing power for certain amounts of time.

From MarketWatch Sep. 18, 2026

But neither Enflame nor its fellow GPU makers have yet to turn a sustainable profit, creating an overhang for investors.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 11, 2026

The Chinese hyperscalers’ spending was likely mostly related to domestic GPU procurement as well as global and domestic memory-chip purchases, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 28, 2026

"You can unplug from the Bitcoin network any time but signing a GPU colocation lease for 10 or 20 years means steady revenue and a commitment to keep the infrastructure up for the tenants."

From BBC Aug. 25, 2026

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