Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

ator

 - 1 dictionary result

-ator

 
Use ator in a Sentence
a combination of -ate 1 and -or 2 that forms nouns corresponding to verbs ending in -ate1 ,denoting a human agent (agitator; mediator; adjudicator) or nonhuman entity, esp. a machine (incubator; regulator; vibrator) performing the function named by the verb.
Compare -tor, -or 2 .

Origin:
< L -ātor, orig. not a suffix, but the termination of nouns formed with -tor -tor from verbs whose stems ended in -ā-; in English, Latin loanwords ending in -ātor have been reanalyzed as derivatives of the past participles in -tus (see -ate 1 ) and a suffix -or (see -or 2 ), and many new English nouns derived from English verbs based on Latin past participles (e.g., vibrator from vibrate )
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To ator
Search another word or see ator on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way