interpreter

American  

[in-tur-pri-ter] / ɪnˈtɜr prɪ tər /

noun

1. a person who interprets.

2. a person who provides an oral translation between speakers who speak different languages.

3. Computers.

   1. hardware or software that transforms one statement at a time of a program written in a high-level language into a sequence of machine actions and executes the statement immediately before going on to transform the next statement.

   2. an electromechanical device that reads the patterns of holes in punched cards and prints the same data on the cards, so that they can be read more conveniently by people.

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interpreter British  

/ ɪnˈtɜːprɪtə /

noun

1. a person who translates orally from one language into another

2. a person who interprets the work of others

3. computing

   1. a program that translates a second program to machine code one statement at a time and causes the execution of the resulting code as soon as the translation is completed

   2. a machine that interprets the holes in a punched card and prints the corresponding characters on that card

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Other Word Forms

• interpretership noun
• interpretress noun

Etymology

Origin of interpreter

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English interpretour, from Anglo-French; equivalent to interpret + -er ²

Example Sentences

Among those jobs: 220 information technology support technicians, 33 parent education support assistants, 23 gardeners, five area bus supervisors, five stock clerks and three interpreters.

From Los Angeles Times

“The swing changes we made last year, I would say I felt about 70% comfortable with,” Kim said through an interpreter on Monday.

From Los Angeles Times

Among those jobs: 220 IT support technicians, 33 parent education support assistants, 23 gardeners, five area bus supervisors, five stock clerks and three interpreters.

From Los Angeles Times

He will climb with a guided team, communicating visually and through written methods when needed, as no BSL interpreter will join the expedition.

From BBC

“I am actually angry at them,” Mr. Walesa says, speaking through an interpreter.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• artist
• commentator
• editor
• exponent
• linguist
• philosopher
• scholar
• writer