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

Residential cruise operator Villa Vie Residences invites travelers onto the Villa Vie Odyssey for a journey that ranges from one to four years, with stops in more than 400 destinations, USA Today reports.

From Salon

The satellite radio operator gave Yoakam his own channel in 2018 as a space to exercise his studious fandom — to talk with and highlight his peers and heroes and to share his musical taste and knowledge with listeners.

From Los Angeles Times

He has expended a huge amount of energy in this endeavour of finding common ground through 12 years during which there has been other momentous social change, and at times has shown himself to be an astute political operator.

From BBC

With a skeleton crew and Aitken as camera operator, he filmed improvised moments with non-actors, located strange and beautiful pockets of his home state to shoot, and arranged for a coyote, a horse and that mountain lion to take part.

From Los Angeles Times

Port operator Clydeport has also been asked to commission an independent review of the training provided to its ship pilots.

From BBC

Related Words

• agent
• broker
• dealer
• driver
• manager