Word family noun operation cooperation operative cooperative operator adjective operational operative cooperative ≠ uncooperative verb operate cooperate adverb operationally cooperatively
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishoperatorop‧e‧ra‧tor /ˈɒpəreɪtə $ ˈɑːpəreɪtər/ ●●○ W3 noun [countable] 1 TCTsomeone who works on a telephone switchboard, who you can call for help Hello, operator? Could you put me through to Room 31?2 TWORKERsomeone who operates a machine or piece of equipmentmachine/computer/radio etc operator computers which can be used by untrained operators3 BBa person or company that operates a particular business new regulations affecting taxi operators Julian travelled with Caribbean Connection, the UK's leading Caribbean tour operator (=company that arranges holidays). a private operator running regular passenger services4 PERSUADEsomeone who is good at achieving things by persuading people to help or agree with them Monsieur Valentin was a formidable political operator. He may not look it, but Newman is a smooth operator (=someone who is good at persuading people but who you feel you cannot trust).Examples from the Corpus
operator• The boat will then by put to the test by operators and their views canvassed.• a day-care center operator.• When the end of the column was over the steel baseplate, the crane operator lowered it slowly into position.• an elevator operator• Keith, a general operator at Associated Octel's plant in Ellesmere Port, is thrilled to see his brother back home.• Life insurers and nursing home operators plot their own windfalls.• By the same token, cinemas had no operators, and so few halls remained open.• a political operator• The system provides operators with detailed real-time analysis of the status of all of their fleets.• Dial "0" to get the operator.• a tour operatormachine/computer/radio etc operator• Example Alan employs Brian as a machine operator.• He began to receive messages purporting to come from his deceased friend, who had been a radio operator.• It was one thing to tell a machine operator he or she had no choice about being measured.• If the radio operator kept his mouth shut, the transgression might not get to the ears of his superiors.• The machine operator she replaced is unemployed and too old to be re-skilled.• At this stage the typical machine operator manipulated machine controls on the basis of data presented on instruments.• They never discussed with machine operators or engineers how the equipment was maintained.private operator• But private operators can turn profits only if prices rise radically and rapidly.• Nearly all Britain's hazardous waste is handled by private operators.• Will the investment in new wagons be justified by private operators or leasing companies given the uncertainty of the market?• Fifteen states have passed laws enabling private operators to run roads and railways: the state of Washington did so last month.• Get private operators on the railway and everything will work just fine.• The brief experience of Stagecoach, the only private operator running regular passenger services, has been mixed.• One of them, set up by six private operators, runs 80 cinemas that meet international standards.• The state expected to raise US$3,500 million from the divestment of its controlling shares to private operators.smooth operator• He may not look it, but he is a smooth operator.• He was then a smooth operator.• Behind the scenes ... chaos ... smooth operators ... and hairdressers everywhere.• Here are the big time smooth operators.From Longman Business Dictionaryoperatorop‧e‧ra‧tor /ˈɒpəreɪtəˈɑːpəreɪtər/ noun [countable]1JOBSMANUFACTURINGsomeone who works a machine or piece of equipmenta computer operatorThis machine requires a skilled operator.2a person or company that operates a particular businessthe merger of two ferry operators → see also owner-operator3someone who works on a telephone SWITCHBOARD, who you can call for help when you have problemsI tried calling the operator. 