effector

American

[ih-fek-ter] / ɪˈfɛk tər /

noun

Also effecter a person or thing that effects.
Physiology. an organ or cell that carries out a response to a nerve impulse.
Biochemistry. a substance, as a hormone, that increases or decreases the activity of an enzyme.
end effector.

The device has three arms with effectors that can grip and pick up objects.

effector British

/ ɪˈfɛktə /

noun

physiol a nerve ending that terminates in a muscle or gland and provides neural stimulation causing contraction or secretion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of effector

1595–1605; < Latin, equivalent to effec-, variant stem of efficere ( see effect) + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Effector genes and other carbohydrate-active enzymes important in the breakdown of plant cell walls were shown by transcriptomics to be highly expressed during infection of arabica coffeeby the pathogenic arabica strains.

From Science Daily • Dec. 5, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023