processor

American  

[pros-es-er, proh-ses-] / ˈprɒs ɛs ər, ˈproʊ sɛs- /

Sometimes processer

noun

processors plural

1. a person or thing that processes.

2. Computers.

   1. a controller, the key component of a computing device that contains the circuitry necessary to interpret and execute electrical signals fed into the device.

   2. a computer.

3. food processor.

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processor British  

/ ˈprəʊsɛsə /

noun

1. computing another name for central processing unit

2. a person or thing that carries out a process

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processor Scientific  

/ prŏs′ĕs′ər,prō′sĕs′- /

1. A part of a computer, such as the central processing unit, that performs calculations or other manipulations of data.

2. A program that translates another program into a form acceptable by the computer being used.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• processors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of processor

First recorded in 1905–10; process + -or ²

Explanation

A processor is a person or machine that goes through certain procedures to achieve a particular result. A milk processor milks cows, stores the milk, pasteurizes it, and bottles it before you buy it a store. There are many different kinds of processors, but what they all have in common is going through a process, a series of specific steps, to accomplish something. The food processor in your kitchen quickly dices pounds of onions, a task that would take considerable work to complete by hand. A word processor does the same for writing, allowing you to easily edit text. Computer processors control and move vast amounts of data. The Latin root means "advance or progress."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

processor processors

PayPal, the struggling payments processor, rallied in premarket trade on Wednesday on a report that rival Stripe is teaming up with private-equity group Advent International on a bid.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

Stripe, a closely held payments processor, counts venture-capital firm Sequoia Capital among its investors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

The U.S. payment processor, AUS Merchant Services, also admitted that its anti-money-laundering compliance program and transaction-monitoring system failed to prevent illegal sales, the DOJ said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

The payroll processor said hiring was slow but demand for labor was improving.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

Those machines, like a lot of things required by the USDA, are way too expensive for a small, local meat processor.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Their performance now approaches the timescales needed for practical quantum technologies and makes magnons comparable to the superconducting qubits used in today's leading quantum processors.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026

Supplies of smaller memory processors, like solid-state drives, are drying up on the market, fueling a crunch that’s hitting smartphones and laptops of all brands.

From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026

Earlier this year, Broadcom said it had a deal to supply Anthropic with access to 3.5 gigawatts of computing capacity through Google’s AI processors, starting in 2027.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Separately, computer processors and electronic circuit boards don't like too much heat, says Nigel Linge, professor emeritus at the University of Salford.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

One reason is they make less money than supermarkets, wholesalers, and food processors.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan