actuator

American  

[ak-choo-ey-ter] / ˈæk tʃuˌeɪ tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that actuates.

2. a servomechanism that supplies and transmits a measured amount of energy for the operation of another mechanism or system.

---

Etymology

Origin of actuator

First recorded in 1860–65; actuate + -or ²

Example Sentences

When Musk returned to the stage a year later, he demoed a prototype called Bumblebee, with visible wires and actuators.

From The Wall Street Journal

He is also upbeat about the company’s plan to supply humanoid robot actuators to Boston Dynamics.

From The Wall Street Journal

In every test, the actuator released enough moisture to dry the material within minutes.

From Science Daily

We had all of these incredible automated nose units made with little actuators and all sorts of things.

From Los Angeles Times

"They have also been shown to have promise in aerospace as actuators for automated systems such as those for deep space grappling, radar deployment or extraterrestrial exploration."

From Science Daily