operator
noun
op·er·a·tor
ˈä-pə-ˌrā-tər 
ˈä-ˌprā-
1
: one that operates: such as
a
: one that operates a machine or device
b
: one that operates a business
c
: one that performs surgical operations
d
: one that deals in stocks or commodities
2
a
: mountebank, fraud
b
: a shrewd and skillful person who knows how to circumvent restrictions or difficulties
3
a
: something and especially a symbol that denotes or performs a mathematical or logical operation
b
: a mathematical function
4
: a binding site in a DNA chain at which a genetic repressor binds to inhibit the initiation of transcription of messenger RNA by one or more nearby structural genes
called also operator gene
compare operon
operatorless
adjective
Examples of operator in a Sentence
the operator of an automobile
the operator of a nuclear power plant
Call the operator for the phone number.
Operator, please connect me with extension 123.
She's quite an operator—no one else could have gotten them all to agree to the project.
Recent Examples on the Web
There are tour operators who offer day trips from Veracruz (generally an all-day, 12-hour trip because of the long drive).
—
John Newton, AFAR Media, 24 Jan. 2025
On January 24, 1848, American carpenter and sawmill operator James Wilson Marshall discovered gold in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.
—Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Jan. 2025
When an operator at the front needs one a drone is launched from a catapult and flies automatically to the specified area.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
The platform demonstrated 96 percent run reliability across 50 donor samples and 11 operators—only one error occurred when an operator loaded the blood tube incorrectly.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for operator 
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John Newton, AFAR Media, 24 Jan. 2025
On January 24, 1848, American carpenter and sawmill operator James Wilson Marshall discovered gold in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.
—Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Jan. 2025
When an operator at the front needs one a drone is launched from a catapult and flies automatically to the specified area.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
The platform demonstrated 96 percent run reliability across 50 donor samples and 11 operators—only one error occurred when an operator loaded the blood tube incorrectly.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for operator
Dictionary Entries Near operator
Cite this Entry
“Operator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/operator. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
operator
noun
op·er·a·tor
ˈäp-(ə-)ˌrāt-ər
1
: a person who operates something
the operator of an automobile
2
: a person in charge of a telephone switchboard
Medical Definition
operator
noun
op·er·a·tor
ˈäp-(ə-)ˌrāt-ər
1
: one (as a dentist or surgeon) who performs surgical operations
2
: a binding site in a DNA chain at which a genetic repressor binds to inhibit the initiation of transcription of messenger RNA by one or more nearby structural genes
called also operator gene
compare operonLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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