microprocessor

American  

[mahy-kroh-pros-es-er, ‑uh-ser, ‑-proh-ses-er, ‑suh-ser] / ˈmaɪ kroʊˌprɒs ɛs ər, ‑ə sər, ‑ˌproʊ sɛs ər, ‑sə sər /

noun

1. an integrated computer circuit that performs all the functions of a CPU.

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microprocessor British  

/ ˌmaɪkrəʊˈprəʊsɛsə /

noun

1. computing a single integrated circuit performing the basic functions of the central processing unit in a small computer

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microprocessor Scientific  

/ mī′krō-prŏs′ĕs-ər /

1. An integrated circuit that contains a processor, such as a central processing unit.

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Other Word Forms

• microprocessing noun

Etymology

Origin of microprocessor

First recorded in 1965–70; micro- + processor

Compare meaning

How does microprocessor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• microprocessor vs. integrated circuit

Example Sentences

“These are not very strategic components, but there are hundreds of them, small microprocessors in the lock systems, climate control, speedometers or whatever,” Volvo Chief Executive Håkan Samuelsson told The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, it was revealed that their microprocessor technology was several generations behind ours.

From The Wall Street Journal

For the next two decades, AMD was consistently playing catch-up to Intel, another spawn of Fairchild that created the microprocessors that were used in most personal computers starting in the 1980s.

From The Wall Street Journal

The company released memory chips before creating the world’s first commercially available microprocessor and other innovations that made it possible for companies to build more affordable computers.

From Los Angeles Times

High-speed, high-capacity memory chips hold and quickly shuttle data to a computer’s microprocessor, which converts it into text, sound and images.

From New York Times

Related Words

• chip
• circuitry
• microchip
• silicon chip