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
The first ever series of Countdown was won that year by crossword compiler Joyce Cansfield.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2024
Edward Mathers worked as a crossword compiler for The Observer newspaper under the pseudonym Torquemada.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 21, 2023
The bad news is that they are told by Mr. Wilcox, compiler of hospital birth certificates, that they must choose a name for their son.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Definitions 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.
