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

By law, you can only buy a sim card with your national ID, and the security services have access to telecom operators' infrastructure.

From BBC

The Unite trade union said drivers working for various operators under the publicly controlled Bee Network have rejected pay offers ranging between 3.5 and 6% following months of negotiations.

From BBC

The capital's public transport operator, Carris, said all funiculars would be inspected and that it had launched an independent investigation.

From BBC

The capital's public transport operator, Carris, said all funiculars would be inspected and that it had launched an independent probe into the incident.

From BBC

The train operator said it was "disappointed" by Aslef's decision and remained committed to "reaching an agreement".

From BBC

Related Words

• agent 
• broker 
• dealer 
• driver 
• manager