-ator
a combination of -ate1. and -or2. that forms nouns corresponding to verbs ending in -ate1, ,denoting a human agent (agitator; mediator; adjudicator) or nonhuman ent-ty, especially a machine (incubator; regulator; vibrator) performing the function named by the verb.
compare -tor, -or2 .
-ator
suffix
a person or thing that performs a certain action agitator, escalator, radiator
word origin
from latin -ātor; see -ate1-or1
Read Also:
- -atorium
-atorium suffix used to form nouns place where an indicated thing is done: drinkatorium/ lubritorium/ printorium
- -atory
a combination of -ate1. and -ory1. or -ory2 , used infrequently as an independent suffix with the same senses as -ory1. and -ory2 : affirmatory; observatory . -atory suffix of, relating to, characterized by, or serving to circulatory, exploratory, migratory, explanatory word origin from latin -ātōrius; see -ate1, -ory²
- -bacter
a combining form with the meaning “rod,” used primarily in biology to form generic names of bacteria: aerobacter; arthrobacter.
- -ball
-ball combining word a person who is obnoxious or strange because of what is indicated: oddball/ goofball/ dirtball/ dizzball/ sleazeball baseball of a specified sort: billyball/ greedball [1970s+; first sense probably fr 1930s screwball, ”eccentric person,” fr late 1920s name of a baseball pitch, suggesting screwy, ”crazy, eccentric”; second sense fr the kind of baseball […]
- -basher
-basher combining word a person who har-sses or beats the person or item indicated: j-pan-basher/ f-g-basher/ honkybasher (1880s+ british)