# GPU

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/gpu
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. computer graphics chip

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

Stands for Graphics Processing Unit. This is the hardware in your computer that does the heavy work for video games and high-quality images.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Graphics Processing Unit. A specialized processor designed to accelerate graphics rendering; it is now also widely used for parallel processing in artificial intelligence and scientific computing.

- Modern video games require a powerful GPU to run smoothly at high settings.
- The latest workstation is equipped with a high-end GPU to handle the intensive parallel processing required for real-time 3D rendering and machine learning.

Usage: Usually used as a countable noun; often functions as a modifier before another noun like 'driver' or 'performance'.

Teaching tip: While technically the 'GPU' is just the chip, in casual conversation people often use it to refer to the entire graphics card.

### 2. aircraft power unit

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

Stands for Ground Power Unit. It is a machine that provides electricity to an airplane while it is parked at the airport.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Ground Power Unit. A mobile power source used to supply electrical energy to an aircraft while it is stationary on the ground, allowing systems to run without the engines.

- The ground crew connected the GPU to the plane so the lights and air conditioning could stay on.
- Before the main engines are started, the aircraft relies on a GPU for its electrical requirements during the pre-flight checks and passenger boarding.

Usage: Typically used in aviation and engineering contexts.

Teaching tip: This is a highly specialized term; unless your students are in the aviation industry, they are unlikely to encounter it.

### 3. Soviet secret police

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Formal

Stands for State Political Directorate. This was the name of the secret police in the early Soviet Union.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Gosudarstvennoye Politicheskoye Upravlenie (State Political Directorate). The intelligence service and secret police of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1922 to 1934.

- Historians study how the GPU monitored citizens during the early years of the Soviet Union.
- The GPU was eventually absorbed into the NKVD as the Soviet state apparatus became increasingly centralized under Stalin.

Usage: Used as a proper noun in historical contexts.

Teaching tip: This sense is purely historical and will only be found in academic texts or history books regarding the USSR.

## Examples

- You need a powerful GPU to play the latest video games.
- The laptop is great for office work, but its integrated GPU struggles with high-resolution video editing.
- Modern artificial intelligence research relies heavily on clusters of high-end GPUs, which can perform the matrix multiplications required for neural network training much faster than a standard central processor.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.