Pronunciation: [ˈɒpəɹˌe͡ɪtə] (IPA) 
The word "operator" is spelled with three syllables: /ˈɑː.pə.reɪ.tər/. The first syllable is "op" which is pronounced with the "ah" sound, as in "father". The second syllable is "er" which is pronounced with the schwa sound, as in "the". The third syllable is "a-tor" which is pronounced with the "ay" sound, as in "day" and "tor" which is pronounced with the "er" sound. This word refers to a person who operates a machine or system.
Operator (noun):
1. A person who operates or manages a particular machine, equipment, or system. They are responsible for the day-to-day functioning, maintenance, and monitoring of the respective machinery or equipment to ensure safe and efficient operations. Examples include a phone operator, a computer operator, a machine operator, or a control room operator.
2. In mathematics, an operator is a symbol or function that is used to perform various operations on elements or entities. It acts on input values or objects and produces a corresponding output. Operators can be arithmetic, logical, relational, or conditional, and are commonly used to perform calculations or comparisons in mathematical expressions or programming languages.
3. In telecommunications, an operator refers to a person who assists in connecting telephone calls or managing the communication network. Traditionally, telephone operators were responsible for manually switching and connecting calls between different parties. However, with the advent of automated telephone systems, the role of telephone operators has significantly diminished.
4. In finance and economics, an operator refers to a person or organization that engages in the buying and selling of goods, services, or financial instruments for profit. They often operate in various markets, such as stock exchanges, commodity markets, or currency markets, and aim to generate profits through trading, investing, or arbitrage.
Overall, the term "operator" denotes a person or entity involved in operating, managing, or controlling various systems, machinery, or processes, with specific roles and responsibilities depending on the context.
One who operates; in surg., the skilled person who does some remedial act upon the human body by cutting with an instrument, or otherwise.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "operator" has its roots in the Latin word "operari", which means "to work" or "toil". It initially emerged in English during the late 16th century, primarily used to refer to someone who works or operates a machine or device. The term later expanded to encompass individuals who perform skilled tasks, often within specific fields like telecommunications, mathematics, or computing.
