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.

---

processor British  

/ ˈprəʊsɛsə /

noun

1. computing another name for central processing unit

2. a person or thing that carries out a process

---

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.

---

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

Focusing solely on processor or memory fails to capture the full picture of hardware efficiency, said Murphy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

Nvidia barely mentioned Arm Holdings in its press release announcing a new personal-computer processor, but investors think chip designer Arm could be the biggest winner of the endeavor.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

That’s because the chip can support higher memory capacity — with Micron memory chips being a likely beneficiary — and better efficiency than the average personal-computer processor.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 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

The processor was slower than a sloth by current standards, but it was fine for my needs.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline