Meaning & use
processor
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Meanings
nouncountablecomputing
The main chip in a computer that reads instructions and does the calculations the computer needs.
Grammar: Countable: one processor, two processors. Often used with 'fast', 'powerful', 'dual-core'.
Patterns
- a fast/powerful processor
- a dual-core processor
- the processor speed
This laptop has a faster processor than my old desktop.
The processor gets very hot when you run heavy games.
Upgrading the processor made the whole system feel quicker.
nouncountable
A machine or company that treats raw materials or food in an industrial way to prepare them for use or sale.
Grammar: Countable. Often used in compounds like 'food processor', 'meat processor'.
Patterns
- a food processor
- a meat processor
- a chemical processor
Chop the nuts finely in a food processor.
The company is one of the largest meat processors in the region.
Local farmers sell their cocoa beans to a processor.
Word forms
| plural | processors |
|---|
Common combinations
- food processor
- A food processor makes pastry much faster.
- powerful processor
- Video editing needs a powerful processor.
- processor speed
- Processor speed is measured in gigahertz.
- multi-core processor
- A multi-core processor can handle several tasks at once.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- process verb
- To handle data or materials according to a set procedure.
- processing noun
- The act of dealing with data or materials.
Commonly confused: processor or processer?
processor vs processer
A rare spelling that sometimes appears, but the standard spelling is 'processor'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'processor' correctly?
Choose one answer.
In computing, the processor is the chip that does calculations. Option 0 uses 'processor' as a verb, which is wrong; option 2 confuses it with 'professor'; option 3 makes no sense because a processor is not edible.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “processor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.