operator

[op-uh-rey-ter]

noun

1. a person who operates a machine, apparatus, or the like.

   a telegraph operator.

2. a person who operates a telephone switchboard, especially for a telephone company.

3. a person who manages a working or industrial establishment, enterprise, or system.

   the operators of a mine.

4. a person who trades in securities, especially speculatively or on a large scale.

5. a person who performs a surgical operation; a surgeon.

6. Mathematics.

   1. a symbol for expressing a mathematical operation.

   2. a function, especially one transforming a function, set, etc., into another.

      a differential operator.

7. Informal.

   1. a person who accomplishes goals or purposes by devious means; faker; fraud.

   2. a person who is adroit at overcoming, avoiding, or evading difficulties, regulations, or restrictions.

   3. a person who is extremely successful with or smoothly persuasive to potential sexual or romantic partners.

8. Genetics.,  a segment of DNA that interacts with a regulatory molecule, preventing transcription of the adjacent region.

operator

/ ˈɒpəˌreɪtə /

noun

1. a person who operates a machine, instrument, etc, esp, a person who makes connections on a telephone switchboard or at an exchange

2. a person who owns or operates an industrial or commercial establishment

3. a speculator, esp one who operates on currency or stock markets

4. informal,  a person who manipulates affairs and other people

5. maths any symbol, term, letter, etc, used to indicate or express a specific operation or process, such as Δ (the differential operator)

operator

1. Mathematics,  A function, especially one from a set to itself, such as differentiation of a differentiable function or rotation of a vector. In quantum mechanics, measurable quantities of a physical system, such as position and momentum, are related to unique operators applied to the wave equation describing the system.

2. A logical operator.

3. Genetics,  A segment of chromosomal DNA that regulates the activity of the structural genes of an operon by interacting with a specific repressor.

Other Word Forms

• preoperator noun
• self-operator noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of operator¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Late Latin, equivalent to operā(rī) “to work, effect” ( operate ) + Latin -tor noun suffix ( -tor )

Example Sentences

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents the UK's train operators, said every allegation will be "taken seriously".

Read more on BBC

When Ms. Noonan compares Prime Minister Netanyahu to a sleek and prowling operator and an “animal,” it doesn’t seem like she means the Lion of Judah.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Pacific Maritime Association, a trade group that represents the private terminal operators, had warned the bill would stifle port investment.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The commission has national oversight, but councils in England and Wales receive licence fees paid by gambling operators to fund inspections.

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Spain’s electricity-grid operator said there was no risk of an imminent second major blackout in the country after detecting two sharp voltage variations in recent weeks.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• agent 
• broker 
• dealer 
• driver 
• manager