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CPU

American  

abbreviation

Computers.

  1. central processing unit: the key component of a computer system, which contains the circuitry necessary to interpret and execute program instructions.

CPU British  

abbreviation

  1. central processing unit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
CPU Scientific  

  1. Abbreviation of central processing unit

CPU Cultural  

  1. An abbreviation for c entral p rocessing u nit. The “brain” of a computer, the CPU is where data manipulation actually takes place. The results of these manipulations are then stored in the computer memory. Microprocessors perform this function in personal computers.

Etymology

Origin of CPU

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Intel’s strong first-quarter earnings and CEO’s positive outlook on CPU demand boosted chip sector stocks on Friday.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

“We continue to believe it remains early days for AI’s impact on the CPU market with plenty of room to run,” he wrote in a note to clients.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

The social-media giant enters multiyear agreement to use Amazon Web Services’ Graviton CPU chips to power its AI efforts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

The earnings print was a positive sign for the “once sleepy” central processing unit, or CPU, market, according to D.A.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Ray and CPU go over to talk to Lou Ann.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.