processing

processing
    n 1: preparing or putting through a prescribed procedure; "the
         processing of newly arrived immigrants"; "the processing of
         ore to obtain minerals"
    

processing

   <data processing, signal processing> Performing some
   predefined sequence of operations on an input to produce an
   output or change of internal state; activity specifically
   involving the computer's {CPU}.

   The term is often qualified: "{data processing}" treats
   {digital} data, "{signal processing}" treats {analog} data
   (possibly in digital form), "{word processing}" takes in typed
   human language input and produces digital documents, {image
   processing} transforms digital {images}.

   (2003-10-23)
    

88 Moby Thesaurus words for "processing":
      accounting, analysis, architecture, arrangement, assembly,
      automatic electronic navigation, basic training, braking, briefing,
      building, casting, clearing the decks, composition, computation,
      construction, conversion, coordination, crafting, craftsmanship,
      creation, cultivation, devising, elaboration, equipment, erection,
      extraction, fabrication, fact distribution, familiarization,
      fashioning, fixing, forecasts, formation, forming, formulation,
      foundation, framing, groundwork, growing, handicraft, handiwork,
      harvesting, inspection, machining, makeready, making, making ready,
      manipulation, manufacture, manufacturing, milling, mining,
      mobilization, molding, nonlinear calibrations, output measurement,
      planning, prearrangement, prefabrication, preliminaries,
      preliminary, preliminary act, preliminary step, prep, preparation,
      preparatory study, preparing, prepping, prerequisite, pretreatment,
      producing, propaedeutic, provision, raising, readying,
      record keeping, refining, shaping, smelting, spadework, steering,
      supersonic flow detection, training, treatment, trial, tryout,
      warm-up, workmanship