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operator

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Operator, operatör, operatőr, operatør, and operátor

English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin operātor, from operor (“work, labour”). Equivalent to operate +‎ -or.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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operator (countable and uncountable, plural operators)

  1. A person or organisation that operates a device, system, service, etc.
    The drone crashed because of operator error.
    The new bus operator has promised to improve the frequency of rural services.
  2. A telecommunications facilitator whose job is to connect or otherwise assist callers.
    To get an international line, you used to have to go through the operator.
    I kept getting "number unobtainable", so I called the operator to find out what was going on.
  3. A member of a military special operations unit.
  4. A surgeon; one who performs medical operations.
    • 1923, Ernest Bramah, The Eyes of Max Carrados:
      Oh, a very well-known man. He has a great reputation as an operator for peritonitis.
  5. (uncountable) The game of Chinese whispers.
  7. (informal) A person who is adept at making deals or getting results, especially one who uses questionable methods.
    • 1990, House of Cards, season 1, episode 1:
      Francis Urquhart: I think Lord Billsborough is starting to lose touch a bit.
      Tim Stamper: Shame. Used to be a hell of an operator in his day.
  8. (mathematics) A function or other mapping that carries values defined on a domain into another value or set of values in a defined range.
  10. (computing) The administrator of a channel or network on IRC.
  12. (computing) A symbol that represents a construct in a programming language and differs from a normal function in its syntax.
  14. (linguistics) A kind of expression that enters into an a-bar movement dependency and is said to bind a variable.
    In the sentence "What did Bill say he wants to buy?", "what" is an operator, binding a phonetically empty variable.
  16. (transport) A bus driver.
  18. (by ellipsis, mining) The company that operates a mine; often the same one that owns the mine.
    Coordinate terms: mineowner (often coinstantial); (in contrast) mineworkers, miners, workers, laborers, labor union, trade union; regulator
  19. (Should we delete(+) this sense?)(slang) A thief or charlatan.
    • 1709 January 11, Colley Cibber, “The Rival Fools: […]”, in Mr. Cibber's Plays, volume II, London: […] B. Lintot […], published 1721, page 104:
      Sir Ol. Sirrah! I got many a round Sum by it, when my Father wou'd not give me a Groat—Then, Sir, I was in with all the Top Gameſters, and when there was a fat Squire to be fleec'd; I had my Office among them too, and tho' I ſay it, was one of the neateſt Operators about Town.
    • 2016, C. T. Collier, Planted, Scottsdale, A.Z.: Asdee Press, →ISBN, page 301:
      Hank was saying, "Lyssa showed me the screenshots of Nate's accounts, so we know he's helping himself to Nate's money every month. The guy's a real operator."
  20. (Should we delete(+) this sense?)(slang) A major criminal.
  21. (Should we delete(+) this sense?)(slang, dated) Someone who is successful at pursuing women; a player.
    • 1974, Earl Wilson, Show Business Laid Bare, New York, N.Y.: G. P. Putnam's Sons, →ISBN, page 188:
      I give credit to men who are great operators, as we once called them, with the girls. Once I was interviewing one of the most beautiful girls in the world in her suite at the Hotel Plaza. While she was busily denying to me that there was anything serious in her relationship with Warren Beatty, who should be barging into the next room of the suite with a lot of clothes being removed from another suite, but Warren Beatty?
    • 1988 [1977], Luciano De Crescenzo, translated by Avril Bardoni, Thus Spake Bellavista: Naples, Love, and Liberty, New York, N.Y.: Grove Press, →ISBN, page 101:
      "Of course you're right, but the Baron is unfortunately a bit of an operator, if you know what I mean. He likes the ladies," said Salvatore with a wicked grin. "So he never gets in until two, sometimes even three in the morning, and that's because he goes dancing at the Mela; he's quite a playboy."
    • 1996, George P. Pelecanos, The Big Blowdown, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin's Press, →ISBN, page 298:
      Anyway, there's gonna be plenty of girls. Plenty of girls for an operator like you.

Hyponyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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Indonesian

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Indonesian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia id

Etymology

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Learned borrowing from Latin operātor.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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operator (plural operator-operator)

  1. operator

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Latin

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Etymology

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Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep-
Proto-Indo-European *-os
Proto-Indo-European *h₃épos
Proto-Italic *opos
Latin opus
Latin opera
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Italic *-āō
Latin -or
Latin operor
Proto-Indo-European *-tōr
Proto-Italic *-tōr
Latin -tor
Latin operātor

    From operor + -tor.

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    operātor m (genitive operātōris); third declension

    1. worker, operator

    Declension

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    Third-declension noun.

    singular plural
    nominative operātor operātōrēs
    genitive operātōris operātōrum
    dative operātōrī operātōribus
    accusative operātōrem operātōrēs
    ablative operātōre operātōribus
    vocative operātor operātōrēs

    Descendants

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    Verb

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    operātor

    1. second/third-person singular future active imperative of operor

    References

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    Northern Kurdish

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    Etymology

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    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): /oːpɛɾɑːˈtoːɾ/

    Noun

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    operator ?

    1. surgeon
    Request for quotations This entry needs quotations to illustrate usage. If you come across any interesting, durably archived quotes, then please add them!

    Polish

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    Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia pl

    Etymology

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    Borrowed from French opérateur, from Latin operātor.

    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): /ɔ.pɛˈra.tɔr/
    • Audio:(file)
    • Rhymes: -atɔr
    • Syllabification: o‧pe‧ra‧tor

    Noun

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    operator m pers (female equivalent operatorka)

    1. machinist, operator
    2. (medicine) surgeon
      Synonym: chirurg
    3. (cinematography) cameraman, cinematographer
    4. (telecommunications) operator (company providing operator services)

    Declension

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    Declension of operator
    singular plural
    nominative operator operatorzy/operatory (deprecative)
    genitive operatora operatorów
    dative operatorowi operatorom
    accusative operatora operatorów
    instrumental operatorem operatorami
    locative operatorze operatorach
    vocative operatorze operatorzy

    Noun

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    operator m inan

    1. (mathematics) operator
    2. (linguistics) operator

    Declension

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    Declension of operator
    singular plural
    nominative operator operatory
    genitive operatoru operatorów
    dative operatorowi operatorom
    accusative operator operatory
    instrumental operatorem operatorami
    locative operatorze operatorach
    vocative operatorze operatory

    Derived terms

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    adjectives
    noun

    Further reading

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    • “operator”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
    • “operator”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[3] (in Polish)

    Romanian

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    Etymology

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    Borrowed from French opérateur or Latin operator. Equivalent to opera +‎ -tor.

    Adjective

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    operator m or n (feminine singular operatoare, masculine plural operatori, feminine/neuter plural operatoare)

    1. operating

    Declension

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    Declension of operator
    singular plural
    masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
    nominative-
    accusative     		indefinite operator operatoare operatori operatoare
    definite operatorul operatoarea operatorii operatoarele
    genitive-
    dative     		indefinite operator operatoare operatori operatoare
    definite operatorului operatoarei operatorilor operatoarelor

    Noun

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    operator m (plural operatori)

    1. worker, operator

    Declension

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    singular plural
    indefinite definite indefinite definite
    nominative-accusative operator operatorul operatori operatorii
    genitive-dative operator operatorului operatori operatorilor
    vocative operatorule operatorilor

    Serbo-Croatian

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    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): /opěraːtor/
    • Hyphenation: o‧pe‧ra‧tor

    Noun

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    opèrātor m inan (Cyrillic spelling опѐра̄тор)

    1. (mathematics) operator

    Declension

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    Declension of operator
    singular plural
    nominative operator operatori
    genitive operatora operatora
    dative operatoru operatorima
    accusative operator operatore
    vocative operatore operatori
    locative operatoru operatorima
    instrumental operatorom operatorima

    Swedish

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    Noun

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    operator c

    1. (mathematics, computing) an operator

    Declension

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    Declension of operator
    nominative genitive
    singular indefinite operator operators
    definite operatorn operatorns
    plural indefinite operatorer operatorers
    definite operatorerna operatorernas
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