moderator
[mod-uh-rey-ter]
- a person or thing that moderates.
- a person who presides over a panel discussion on radio or television.
- a member of an online message board or electronic mailing list with privileges and responsibilities to approve or reject messages and uphold the terms of service.
- a presiding officer, as at a public forum, a legislative body, or an ecclesiastical body in the Presbyterian Church.
- Physics. a substance, as graphite or heavy water, used to slow neutrons to speeds at which they are more efficient in causing fission.
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Origin of moderator
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for moderator
Contemporary Examples
Moderator Jan Jarboe Russell, an author and writer for Texas Monthly, asked Rep. Castro whether politics was in his blood.
Moderator Alicia Menendez, an anchor on the Fusion network, asked about the influence of her children.
As a moderator was keen to point out, his name remains on the bill as a sponsor.
After the laughter subsided, the moderator pressed, “What else do you know about her, any impressions of her?”
“This is the biggest day in the history of The View,” current moderator Whoopi Goldberg announced at the top of the hour.
Historical Examples
The moderator had some difficulty in restoring order to the hilarious meeting.
Cy Whittaker's PlaceJoseph C. Lincoln
“All in favor of that motion will say aye,” said the moderator.
Daughters of the Revolution and Their TimesCharles Carleton Coffin
“It is from his excellency, the governor,” said the sheriff, bowing to the moderator.
Daughters of the Revolution and Their TimesCharles Carleton Coffin
"The members o' this court will address the moderator," he said sternly.
St. Cuthbert'sRobert E. Knowles
He has become almost insupportable since they have named him for Moderator.
Coniston, CompleteWinston Churchill
moderator
- a person or thing that moderates
- Presbyterian Church a minister appointed to preside over a Church court, synod, or general assembly
- a presiding officer at a public or legislative assembly
- a material, such as heavy water or graphite, used for slowing down neutrons in the cores of nuclear reactors so that they have more chance of inducing nuclear fission
- an examiner at Oxford or Cambridge Universities in first public examinations
- (in Britain and New Zealand) one who is responsible for consistency of standards in the grading of some educational assessments
- a person who monitors the conversations in an on-line chatroom for bad language, inappropriate content, etc
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for moderator
n.
late 14c., "ruler, governor," from Latin moderator "manager, ruler, director," literally "he who moderates," from moderatus (see moderate (adj.)). Meaning "one who acts as an umpire" is from 1560s. Fem. form moderatrix attested from 1530s.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
moderator
[mŏd′ə-rā′tər]
- A substance, such as graphite, water, or heavy water, placed in a nuclear reactor to slow neutrons down to speeds at which they are more likely to be captured by fissionable components of a fuel (such as uranium-235) and less likely to be absorbed by nonfissionable components of a fuel (such as uranium-238). Also called neutron moderator See also slow neutron.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.