delineator

American  

[dih-lin-ee-ey-ter] / dɪˈlɪn iˌeɪ tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that delineates.

2. a tailor's pattern that can be adjusted for cutting garments of different sizes.

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delineator British  

/ dɪˈlɪnɪˌeɪtə /

noun

1. a tailor's pattern, adjustable for different sizes

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Etymology

Origin of delineator

First recorded in 1765–75; delineate + -or ²

Example Sentences

It used to be that the class delineator in airplane cabins was first class vs. everyone else.

From Slate • Oct. 9, 2025

Highway 2 and hit a delineator post Wednesday morning.

From Washington Times • Oct. 1, 2015

It was drawn by David Mazzucchelli, a brilliant delineator of gritty, atmospheric, street-level crime noir.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2011

Apart from language, international football is the most visible delineator of sovereignty among eurozone countries and anything that takes down those boundaries would be viewed favourably among some European politicians.

From The Guardian • Aug. 2, 2011

There was no finer observer than Johnson of the manners of his time, and he protested of their greatest delineator that he knew only the shell of life.

From The Life of Charles Dickens, Vol. I-III, Complete by Forster, John