compiler
Americannoun
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a person who compiles, or gathers things together.
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Also called compiling routine. Computers. a computer program that translates a program written in a high-level language into another language, usually machine language.
noun
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a person who collects or compiles something
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a computer program by which a high-level programming language, such as COBOL or FORTRAN, is converted into machine language that can be acted upon by a computer Compare assembler
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A computer program associated with certain programming languages that converts the instructions written in those languages into machine code that can later be executed directly by a computer.
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See more at programming language
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of compiler
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English compilour, from Anglo-French; Old French compileor, from Late Latin compīlātor; equivalent to compile + -er 2
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.
Recent transactions include BlackRock’s roughly $3.2 billion acquisition of Preqin to serve clients’ portfolios across public and private markets or stock market index compiler MSCI’s 2023 acquisition of Burgiss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
The ultimate goal is a compiler that takes code written for conventional computers and automatically transforms it into an efficient quantum algorithm.
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
"Our billionaire count is down and the combined wealth of those who feature in our research is falling," Robert Watts, compiler of the Rich List told PA Media.
From BBC ● May 16, 2025
Edward Mathers worked as a crossword compiler for The Observer newspaper under the pseudonym Torquemada.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 21, 2023
I have steadily become a compiler of lives.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
