translator
Americannoun
-
Also translater a person who translates.
-
Television. a relay station that receives programming on one frequency and rebroadcasts it at another frequency for improved local reception.
noun
-
a person or machine that translates speech or writing
-
radio a relay transmitter that retransmits a signal on a carrier frequency different from that on which it was received
-
computing a computer program that converts a program from one language to another
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of translator
1350–1400; Middle English translatour (< Middle French ) < Late Latin translātor ( Latin: “one who transfers a thing”); see translate, -tor
Explanation
A translator is someone who conveys material communicated in one language such as English into another language — like French, Chinese, or Spanish — without losing the literal meaning or nuances of the original work. Ideally, a translator is fluent in at least two languages, so they can translate what is being said in one language into another language without changing its original meaning. The Latin root of translator is translatus, which means "carried over," and a translator who's good at her job carries the meaning over into a completely different language.
Vocabulary lists containing translator
Inside Out & Back Again
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 19, Lesson 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The theater will create a musical version of “Anne’s Cradle: The Life and Works of Hanako Muraoka, Japanese Translator of Anne of Green Gables.”
From New York Times • Dec. 3, 2022
To help you make sense of packaging claims, I bring you the Label Translator, here to tell you what those confusing labels really mean.
From Washington Post • Feb. 24, 2022
Translator Ippei Mizuhara suggested Ohtani did not give himself enough credit.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2020
AI-powered speech recognition tools in the translation and transcription service Translator are also used in lectures to provide captions on a screen for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 21, 2019
When we make first contact with the aliens in other universes and jabber at them in our local code, they cannot understand us without a sci-fi Universal Translator.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
