processor

IPA/ˈprəʊsesə(r)/
KK[prˈɑsˌɛsɚ]IPA/ˈprɑːsesər/

processor — noun

  • processorsingular
  • processorsplural

1. a device, organization, or individual that handles raw materials, food items, do

1.nounB2
Definition

a device, organization, or individual that handles raw materials, food items, documents, or other goods by preparing or managing them through a series of steps.

Example

The coffee processor buys beans directly from farms in Kenya and Ethiopia.

collocation: coffee processor / dairy processor / meat processor

Min works for a large dairy processor that produces cheese and yogurt.

Common collocations
  • food processor
  • word processor
  • dairy processor
  • meat processor
  • grain processor
  • timber processor
  • chemical processor
Synonyms
  • manufacturer

    more specific to factory production; narrower than processor

  • handler

    used for people and organizations that manage materials or paperwork

  • plant

    refers only to the physical facility, not the company itself

Grammar Patterns

processor + of + noun

adjective + processor

Usage Note

Frequently used in compound nouns that name a specific industry, such as food processor, dairy processor, or word processor. The kitchen appliance is the most common everyday referent.

Common Mistakes

My computer processor broke while I was chopping onions.
My food processor broke while I was chopping onions.
In a kitchen context, use food processor for the appliance; computer processor or CPU refers to the chip inside a computer.

2. the main electronic unit inside a computer or device that reads and carries out

2.nounB2
Definition

the main electronic unit inside a computer or device that reads and carries out program instructions and performs mathematical operations on data.

Example

The new processor runs complex calculations three times faster than the old one.

pattern: processor + runs / handles / processes

Jabari installed a faster processor to improve his computer's performance.

Common collocations
  • central processor
  • multi-core processor
  • processor speed
  • processor chip
  • processor manufacturer
  • processor design
  • processor architecture
  • graphics processor
  • dual-core processor
  • quad-core processor
Synonyms
  • CPU

    stands for central processing unit; essentially interchangeable with processor in modern use

  • microprocessor

    technical term for a processor on a single chip; common in engineering contexts

  • chip

    broader term that includes processors, memory chips, and other integrated circuits

  • core

    a single processing unit within a multi-core processor, not the whole component

Grammar Patterns

processor + verb (runs / handles / processes)

adjective + processor

Usage Note

Often shortened to CPU (central processing unit) in technical writing. Processor can also refer to a graphics processor (GPU) or a multi-core processor containing several processing units on one chip.

Common Mistakes

I need a faster processor for gaming, so I will buy more RAM.
I need a faster processor for gaming, so I will upgrade my CPU.
A processor and RAM are different components; upgrading RAM does not mean upgrading the processor.
My phone has an eight-processor.
My phone has an eight-core processor.
The processing units inside a single chip are called cores, not separate processors.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Processor and CPU are now used interchangeably in everyday language, though CPU strictly refers to the central processing unit of a computer. A microprocessor is a processor built on a single integrated circuit — a technical description rather than a distinct device type. Chip is the broadest term: it includes processors, memory modules, and graphics units, so saying 'processor chip' is more precise than just 'chip' when referring to a CPU. A core is one individual processing unit inside a processor; a quad-core processor has four cores. For example: 'The new quad-core processor has four cores on a single chip' uses all four terms precisely.

CPU ↗microprocessor ↗chip ↗core ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • processor manufacturer
  • processor design
  • processor performance
  • processor upgrade

Phrases

  • processor-intensive tasks
  • fast processor

Prepositions

  • processor for

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from the verb 'process' (from Latin 'processus', meaning 'a going forward') plus the agent suffix '-or' ('one that does'). The computing sense emerged in the 1940s as early electronic computers needed a term for the unit that carried out calculations, eventually becoming central processor or central processing unit (CPU) by the 1960s.