processors
|pro-ces-sors|
🇺🇸
/ˈprɑːsɛsɚ/
🇬🇧
/ˈprəʊsɛsə/
(processor)
data handler
Etymology
'processor' originates from Medieval Latin, specifically the word 'processus', where 'pro-' meant 'forward' and 'cedere' (root of 'processus') meant 'to go'.
'processor' changed from Middle English 'processe' (from Old French 'proces' / 'processe') and later acquired the agentive English suffix '-or' to form the noun 'processor'.
Initially, related forms meant 'a going forward' or 'process'; over time the term shifted to mean 'one who/processes' and then widened to refer to machines or devices that perform processing (including data processors and food processors).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person, company, or machine that processes items or data (handles, transforms, or manages materials, information, or transactions).
Many payment processors handle millions of transactions every day.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a central component in computing (such as a CPU or microprocessor) that interprets and executes instructions and manages data operations.
Modern smartphones include multiple processors to manage graphics, AI tasks, and communications.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/09 23:01