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

/ ŏp′ə-rā′tər /

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 Words From

• pre·oper·ator noun
• self-oper·ator 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

That’s sent water treatment operators scrambling to find ways to decontaminate water supplies without breaking the bank.

From Science Magazine

Commuters have been urged to check with bus operators on how their services have been affected.

From BBC

An older customer refused to put on their heating or use hot water and cried down the line to the operator.

From BBC

Specialist de-icer teams and empty trains will help tackle any possible snow disruption across the north-west of England, rail operators have said.

From BBC

Finnish network operator Cinia said all fibre connections in it had been cut.

From BBC

Related Words

• agent
• broker
• dealer
• driver
• manager