(FPA) Additional hardware to perform functions on floating-poiNT numbers such as addition, multiplication, logarithms, exponeNTials, trigonometric functions and various kinds of rounding and error detection. A floating-poiNT accelerator often functions as a co-processor to the CPU. The term "floating-poiNT accelerator" suggests a physically larger system, often an extra circuit board, whereas a "floating-poiNT unit" is probably a single chip or even part of a chip. (1994-12-01)