GPU

abbreviation or noun

ˌjē-(ˌ)pē-ˈyü How to pronounce GPU (audio)
variants or less commonly gpu
plural GPUs also gpus
: a specialized CPU designed to efficiently perform calculations for generating computer graphics
A GPU can deliver hundreds of billions of operations per second—some GPUs more than a teraflop, or a trillion operations per second—while requiring only slightly more electrical power and cooling than a CPU.— Andrea Di Blas et al.

Examples of GPU in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead, it's built on the same GPU (GB203) as the desktop RTX 5080. — Luke Larsen, Wired News, 27 Mar. 2025 Compared with the Nothing Phone (2a)'s MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro, Nothing says the new chip is 33% faster and GPU performance is 11% better. — PC Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025 Perhaps the opportunity to have a closer tie between the ISP, the CPU, the GPU and the AI routines inside the Tensor G5 will improve the resulting photos and videos. — Ewan Spence, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 This laptop is a powerhouse system, topping out with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU and an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU. — Matthew Buzzi, PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for GPU

Word History

Etymology

graphics processing unit

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of GPU was in 1973

Browse Nearby Words

GPS
GPU
GQ
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“GPU.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/GPU. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.

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