GPU

¹ American  

[gey-pey-oo, jee-pee-yoo] / ˈgeɪˌpeɪˈu, ˈdʒiˌpiˈyu /

Or G.P.U.

abbreviation

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

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GPU ² American  

abbreviation

1. General Postal Union. See Universal Postal Union.

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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.

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GPU British  

abbreviation

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

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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

Analysts note that GPU momentum will be an important determinant of the stock’s direction, as investors assess whether the Instinct MI400 is catching on.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

CoreWeave raised prices over 20% and extended contracts, as spot-market Nvidia GPU rental costs rose 48% in two months.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

In data centers, electricity is often distributed at 48 volts, while GPU processors typically require much lower voltages, usually between 1 and 5 volts.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

“The ramp of Nvidia’s Rubin GPU has been delayed due to issues related to the qualification of HBM4 at SK Hynix and to a lesser extent Micron,” Vinh wrote.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Nebius is the only AI-compute provider with a “truly global GPU fabric,” Liani highlighted, adding that other neoclouds can only virtualize within a single physical facility.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026