cpu

Word family

• processor
  nounB1
• microprocessor
  nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

CPU and processor are often used interchangeably in everyday English, though processor can sometimes refer to graphics processors or other specialised chips as well. CPU always means the central, main processor. Microprocessor is a hardware term for any processor built on a single integrated circuit — every modern CPU is a microprocessor, but not every microprocessor is a CPU (some control washing machines or car engines). Chip is the broadest informal term: it can mean a CPU, a memory chip, or any small electronic component. In conversation, 'the chip inside my phone' is natural; in a computer manual, 'CPU' or 'processor' is preferred. Example: Anjali told the repair shop her chip was broken, and they knew she meant the CPU.

Common collocations

Etymology

CPU stands for 'central processing unit.' The term appeared in the early 1960s when computers grew large enough to need a name for the single main unit that controlled all operations. Before integrated circuits, a CPU filled entire cabinets; today, millions of transistors fit on a chip smaller than a fingernail.