Operator

Operator

Noun · /ˈɒp.ər.eɪ.tər/ · a person or system that operates something

Definition

A person who works machinery, runs a business or telephone switchboard, executes financial transactions, or manages a system. In mathematics: a symbol denoting an operation. In computing: a character or function performing logical or arithmetic operations.

Origin

From Latin operator, from operari (to work, to labour). Related to opus (a work). The word entered English in the 17th century, first referring to surgeons; its scope expanded with industrialisation and then computing.