processor

American  

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

Sometimes processer

noun

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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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

Artificial-intelligence rivals Anthropic and OpenAI, data platform Databricks, and payment processor Stripe are all candidates for so-called mega-IPOs at valuations of $100 billion or more if SpaceX’s offering goes well.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

Perhaps more importantly, it is reacting to a broadening AI processor market, flagging $20 billion in revenue from central-processing unit sales this year, adding to its core graphics-processing units.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

Microchip plans to adapt the processor for industries such as aviation and automotive manufacturing.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2026

The restaurant submits the final total — the bill and the tip — as part of a batch to its payment processor.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

When the food processor hit the wall, the putrid batch of peanut butter splattered.

From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff