# processor

Pronunciation: US say "PRAH-ses-ur" /ˈpɹɑˌsɛsɚ/; UK say "PROH-ses-uh" /ˈpɹəʊˌsɛsə(ɹ)/

## Noun

1. The central processing unit of a computer, the main component that carries out program instructions.
   - Simple: The main chip inside a computer that runs programs and carries out instructions.
   - _The new laptop ships with an eight-core processor clocked at three gigahertz._
   - _Upgrading the processor made the aging desktop noticeably faster._
2. A device that processes something, changing or transforming whatever is fed into it, such as food or data.
   - Simple: A machine that changes something, such as chopping food or shaping materials.
   - _She pulsed the vegetables in the processor until they were finely chopped._
   - _The recycling plant feeds crushed plastic into a processor that melts it into pellets._
3. A computing unit contained on a single integrated-circuit chip, common in computers and everyday electronic devices.
   - Simple: A tiny chip that runs programs, found in computers, cars, and many other machines.
   - _Each smart thermostat contains a processor no bigger than a fingernail._
   - _Embedded processors control everything from car engines to coffee makers._
4. A person or institution that processes things, such as foods, photographs, or applications.
   - Simple: A person or company whose work is handling and preparing things, like food or paperwork.
   - _The loan processor collected pay stubs and tax returns before sending the file to the underwriter._
   - _Local dairy farmers sell their milk to a processor that turns it into cheese and butter._

## Origin

First recorded in 1909, formed from "process" plus the suffix "-or".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/processor (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).