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
Cite this Entry
“Operator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/operator. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.
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