definitions

activator

[ ak-tuh-vey-ter ]
/ ˈæk təˌveɪ tər /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR activator ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person or thing that activates.
Chemistry, Biochemistry. a catalyst.
any impurity in a mineral that causes luminescence.Compare inhibitor(def 3).
Orthodontics. a removable appliance, usually of hard plastic, that is worn in the mouth instead of a fixed appliance to help align the teeth and improve the relationship of the lower jaw to the upper.

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RELATED WORDS

catalyst

Nearby words

activated mine, activated resin, activated sludge, activation analysis, activation energy, activator, active, active anaphylaxis, active centre, active chronic hepatitis, active congestion

Origin of activator

activate + -or2

Related forms

non·ac·ti·va·tor, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for activator

  • They may have been, and the use of the activator may have been extorted from one of them.

    Temple Trouble|Henry Beam Piper

  • Nargyll wants to move your ship into one of the sheds, but the activator key's gone.

    Astounding Stories, June, 1931|Various

  • Finally, he poked the activator bar, and watched as the machine spat out tape.

    The Players|Everett B. Cole

Medicine definitions for activator

activator

[ ăk′tə-vā′tər ]

n.

An agent that renders another substance active or accelerates a process or reaction.
The fragment produced by chemical cleavage of a proactivator that induces the enzymatic activity of another substance.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.