operator

B2 Topic:People & Society

US /ˈɑpəˌɹeɪtɚ/ UK /ˈɒpəˌɹeɪtə/ See IPA manual

Freq #4637

Meanings

1

noun
A person who controls a machine or piece of equipment.

The crane operator lowered the load slowly.
2

noun
A person whose job is to connect telephone calls or help callers.

To get an international line, you used to go through the operator.
3

noun
A person or company that runs a business or service.

The tour operator arranged all our flights and hotels.
4

noun
A person who is clever at getting what they want, sometimes by questionable means.

He's a smooth operator who always closes the deal.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a person who controls a... manipulator

Word family

Forms operators

Derived forms cooperatoreigenoperatorhyperoperatorinteroperatorintraoperatormetaoperatornonoperatoroperatorialoperatorlessoperatorshipoperatressoperon

Related forms opera operable operand operant operate operation operational operative opus

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

radio operator
a person who operates radio transmitting equipment

Noun + noun

Etymology

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

*h₃ep- Proto-Indo-European operātor Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society

External links

# operator

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈɑpəˌɹeɪtɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɒpəˌɹeɪtə/
**Frequency rank:** 4637

## Meanings
1. A person who controls a machine or piece of equipment.
2. A person whose job is to connect telephone calls or help callers.
3. A person or company that runs a business or service.
4. A person who is clever at getting what they want, sometimes by questionable means.

## Examples
- The crane operator lowered the load slowly.
- To get an international line, you used to go through the operator.
- The tour operator arranged all our flights and hotels.
- He's a smooth operator who always closes the deal.

## Derived Forms
- cooperator
- eigenoperator
- hyperoperator
- interoperator
- intraoperator
- metaoperator
- nonoperator
- operatorial
- operatorless
- operatorship
- operatress
- operon

## Related Forms
- opera
- operable
- operand
- operant
- operate
- operation
- operational
- operative
- opus

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₃ep-
- Root: operātor

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

## AI Etymology
Operator was borrowed from Latin operātor, from operor (“work, labour”). Equivalent to operate + -or. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- and Latin operātor. Modern senses include a person who controls a machine or piece of equipment and a person whose job is to connect telephone calls or help callers. The wider word family includes derivatives such as cooperator, eigenoperator, hyperoperator, interoperator, intraoperator, and metaoperator and related forms such as opera, operable, operand, and operant.

## Topics
- People & Society

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