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operator

[ op-uh-rey-ter ]
/ ˈɒp əˌreÉȘ tər /
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See synonyms for: operator / operators on Thesaurus.com

noun
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Origin of operator

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

OTHER WORDS FROM operator

pre·op·er·a·tor, nounself-op·er·a·tor, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use operator in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for operator

operator
/ (ˈɒpəˌreÉȘtə) /

noun
a person who operates a machine, instrument, etc, esp, a person who makes connections on a telephone switchboard or at an exchange
a person who owns or operates an industrial or commercial establishment
a speculator, esp one who operates on currency or stock markets
informal a person who manipulates affairs and other people
maths any symbol, term, letter, etc, used to indicate or express a specific operation or process, such as Δ (the differential operator)
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

Scientific definitions for operator

operator
[ Əpâ€Čə-rāâ€Čtər ]

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.
A logical operator.
Genetics A segment of chromosomal DNA that regulates the activity of the structural genes of an operon by interacting with a specific repressor.
The American HeritageŸ Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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