English Lexicon

Central Processing Unit

/ˈsɛntrəl ˈprəʊsɛsɪŋ ˈjuːnɪt/
nounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #1500 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    The primary component of a computer that performs most of the processing inside the computer.

    "The central processing unit is often referred to as the brain of the computer."
  2. 2

    A specific type of microprocessor that executes instructions from computer programs.

    "Modern central processing units can execute billions of instructions per second."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The term 'central processing unit' originated in the mid-20th century, during the development of early computers. The word 'central' comes from the Latin 'centralis', meaning 'pertaining to the center', while 'processing' derives from the Latin 'processus', meaning 'a going forward'. 'Unit' comes from the Latin 'unitas', meaning 'oneness' or 'a single entity'.

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10 Global Lexicons: How "Central Processing Unit" is said worldwide

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🇫🇷French → English

Unité centrale de traitement

Transliteration: Unité centrale de traitement

"L'unité centrale de traitement est essentielle pour le fonctionnement de l'ordinateur."

🇩🇪German → English

Zentrale Verarbeitungseinheit

Transliteration: Zentrale Verarbeitungseinheit

"Die zentrale Verarbeitungseinheit ist das Herzstück des Computers."

🇮🇹Italian → English

Unità centrale di elaborazione

Transliteration: Unità centrale di elaborazione

"L'unità centrale di elaborazione gestisce tutte le operazioni del computer."

🇪🇸Spanish → English

Unidad central de procesamiento

Transliteration: Unidad central de procesamiento

"La unidad central de procesamiento es crucial para el rendimiento del ordenador."

🇵🇹Portuguese → English

Unidade central de processamento

Transliteration: Unidade central de processamento

"A unidade central de processamento é responsável por executar as instruções do computador."

🇮🇳Hindi → English

केंद्रीय प्रसंस्करण इकाई

Transliteration: Kendriya prasanskaran ikai

"केंद्रीय प्रसंस्करण इकाई कंप्यूटर का मुख्य भाग है।"

🇨🇳Chinese → English

中央处理器

Transliteration: Zhōngyāng chǔlǐqì

"中央处理器是计算机的核心部件。"

🇰🇷Korean → English

중앙 처리 장치

Transliteration: Jungang cheri jangchi

"중앙 처리 장치는 컴퓨터의 두뇌 역할을 합니다."

🇯🇵Japanese → English

中央処理装置

Transliteration: Chūō shori sōchi

"中央処理装置はコンピュータの心臓部です。"

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