translator

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/trænzˈleɪtər/
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A person or tool that carries meaning, code, or signals from one form into another, with a rare older British sense for a repairer.
Practice using translator in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • A radio translator rebroadcasts a signal on another frequency.
  • The new translator handles speech as well as text.
  • Older documentation calls the language processor a translator.
  • An old directory lists him as a translator of umbrellas.
  • The shop sign called the mender a translator.

Similar words

transpiler
source-to-source translator
language translation tool
translation specialist
language specialist
routing unit
language professional
repeater
linguist
text translator

Meanings

Person who translates language

noun
language
neutral
A person who carries written text, and sometimes speech, from one language into another while keeping the meaning, tone, and context.

Examples

  • The translator delivered the contract in Italian by noon.
  • Our translator specializes in medical reports.
  • A careful translator preserves both meaning and tone.
  • The publisher hired a translator for the new novel.
  • Several translators worked on the film subtitles.
  • The agency matched the client with a certified translator.

Similar words

language specialist
linguist
localizer
translation specialist
language professional
bilingual editor
text translator

Automatic language translation tool

noun
technology
neutral
An app, website, service, or device that converts text or speech between human languages automatically.

Examples

  • The new translator handles speech as well as text.
  • I opened a translator to read the Japanese website.
  • The phone translator helped us order dinner.
  • Their app includes an offline translator.
  • The translator struggled with the joke in the headline.
  • A browser translator can make a foreign page readable.

Similar words

machine translator
translation app
translation software
machine translation system
language translation tool
translation engine
online translator

Programming-language processor

noun
computing
technical
A program that converts source code or instructions from one programming language or level into another form a computer can use.

Examples

  • The compiler acts as a translator from C to machine code.
  • An assembler is a simple kind of translator.
  • The course compares interpreters with other translators.
  • A source-to-source translator rewrites one language as another.
  • The translator reported an error in the input program.
  • Older documentation calls the language processor a translator.

Similar words

language processor
compiler
interpreter
assembler
transpiler
source-to-source translator
code translator

Relay or routing apparatus

noun
telecommunications
technical
A device or circuit that repeats, converts, or routes signals in older telecommunications and electrical systems.

Examples

  • The telephone translator routed numbers through the exchange.
  • Engineers replaced a faulty translator in the relay room.
  • The circuit diagram labels the signal converter as a translator.
  • A radio translator rebroadcasts a signal on another frequency.
  • The old switchboard depended on a bank of translators.
  • In that manual, translator means a piece of telecom equipment.

Similar words

repeater
relay
routing unit
switching device
signal converter

Repairer of clothes or small goods

noun
trades
archaic
A British term for someone who mends worn clothes, umbrellas, shoes, or similar everyday items.

Examples

  • The village translator mended coats, umbrellas, and worn shoes.
  • An old directory lists him as a translator of umbrellas.
  • Customers brought torn sleeves to the translator near the market.
  • That sense of translator now sounds historical in British English.
  • She found a notice for a translator who repaired old boots.
  • The shop sign called the mender a translator.

Similar words

repairer
mender
cobbler
tailor
restorer

Etymology

From Middle English translatour, from Old French translator or directly from Latin translator, meaning one who transfers, interprets, or carries over.

FAQ

What does translator usually mean?

Translator usually means a person who converts written text from one language into another.

Is a translator the same as an interpreter?

Not exactly. A translator usually works with written text, while an interpreter usually works with live speech.

Can translator mean software?

Yes. A translator can be an app, website, service, or device that automatically converts text or speech between languages.

What is a translator in programming?

In computing, a translator is a language processor such as a compiler, interpreter, assembler, or transpiler.

Does translator have technical equipment meanings?

Yes. In telecommunications and electronics, translator can name a repeater, routing unit, or signal-converting device.

Where does translator come from?

Translator comes through Middle English and Old French from Latin translator, a word for someone who transfers, interprets, or carries over.

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