The acronym GPU stands for Graphics Processing Unit. It is a specialized electronic circuit designed to accelerate the creation and rendering of images, animations, and video for display. GPUs are essential for tasks that require significant graphical power, such as gaming, video editing, and scientific simulations. They can process multiple streams of data simultaneously, allowing for complex visual effects and high frame rates in real-time applications. Over time, GPUs have evolved to also support general-purpose computing tasks, making them versatile tools in both graphics and data processing.