driver

A1 Topic:Transportation

US /ˈdɹaɪvɚ/ UK /ˈdɹaɪ.və/ See IPA manual

Freq #1342

Meanings

1

noun
A person who controls and operates a vehicle.

The bus driver waited for the last passenger to sit down.
2

noun
Something that causes or strongly influences a change or event.

Rising fuel costs were a major driver of inflation.
3

noun
A program that lets a computer work with a connected device.

You need to install a new driver for the printer.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 noun · a program that lets a... device driver

Word family

Forms drivers

Derived forms cabdrivercodriverdrabidrink-driverdriver-antdriver-boomdriver-yarddriveressdriverlessdriverlydriversidel-driver

Related forms chauffeur conductor pilot rider

Appears in

Phrases (3)

See all

camel driver
a person who leads or directs camels used for transport

Noun + noun
taxi driver
a person whose job is driving passengers in a taxi

Noun + noun
mule driver
a person who guides or controls working mules

Noun + noun

Etymology

From Middle English drivere, dryvere, dryvare, equivalent to drive + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Drieuwer (“driver”), Dutch drijver (“driver”), German Low German Driever (“driver”), German Treiber (“driver”), Swedish drivare (“driver”).

drivere Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Transportation

External links

# driver

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈdɹaɪvɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈdɹaɪ.və/
**Frequency rank:** 1342

## Meanings
1. A person who controls and operates a vehicle.
2. Something that causes or strongly influences a change or event.
3. A program that lets a computer work with a connected device.

## Examples
- The bus driver waited for the last passenger to sit down.
- Rising fuel costs were a major driver of inflation.
- You need to install a new driver for the printer.

## Derived Forms
- cabdriver
- codriver
- drabi
- drink-driver
- driver-ant
- driver-boom
- driver-yard
- driveress
- driverless
- driverly
- driverside
- l-driver

## Related Forms
- chauffeur
- conductor
- pilot
- rider

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: drivere
- Affix: -er - one who

## Etymology
From Middle English drivere, dryvere, dryvare, equivalent to drive + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Drieuwer (“driver”), Dutch drijver (“driver”), German Low German Driever (“driver”), German Treiber (“driver”), Swedish drivare (“driver”).

## AI Etymology
Driver comes from Middle English drivere, dryvere, dryvare, equivalent to drive + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Drieuwer (“driver”), Dutch drijver (“driver”), German Low German Driever (“driver”), German Treiber (“driver”), Swedish drivare (“driver”). In current use, the main senses are “A person who controls and operates a vehicle” and “Something that causes or strongly influences a change or event”.

## Topics
- Transportation

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