Dictionary

initiator en · NOUN

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin initiātor. By surface analysis, initiate + or.

Meanings

1. One who initiates.
2. A substance that initiates a chain reaction or polymerization.
3. A component of a nuclear weapon that produces a burst of neutrons to start the chain reaction.
   • ‘This, er, initiator of polonium and lithium, would it be used in an anti-personnel bomb?’ he asked. ‘Oh yes, you could say so, boyo,’ replied the Welshman. ‘An initiator, you see, is what sets off a nuke.’ 1984, Frederick Forsyth, The Fourth Protocol, London: Hutchinson, →ISBN, page 301:
4. A task (in a mainframe computer) that initiates multiple jobs.
5. A material whose presence in the body eventually leads to cancer.

Forms

Deriveds

coinitiator · thermoinitiator · pyrotechnic initiator · macroinitiator · preinitiator · reinitiator · photoinitiator

Translations (38)

id pelopor (one who initiates) · fi käynnistäjä (medicine: material whose presence in the body eventually leads to cancer) · ka ინიციატორი (one who initiates) · ru основополо́жник (one who initiates) · id inisiator (one who initiates) · uk зачина́телька (one who initiates) · uk основополо́жник (one who initiates) · ar مُبَادِر (one who initiates) · az təşəbbüskar (one who initiates) · uk ініціа́тор (one who initiates) · it iniziatrice (one who initiates) · fi laukaisin (military: component of a nuclear weapon) · nl initiator (one who initiates) · ca iniciador (one who initiates) · it iniziatore (one who initiates) · es iniciadora (one who initiates) · fr initiatrice (one who initiates) · de Initiator (chemistry: substance that initiates a chain reaction or polymerization) · ms pemula (one who initiates) · ka წამომწყები (one who initiates) · ca iniciadora (one who initiates) · uk зачина́тель (one who initiates) · id pemrakarsa (one who initiates) · fi käynnistäjä (chemistry: substance that initiates a chain reaction or polymerization) · uk ініціа́торка (one who initiates) · fi aloittaja (one who initiates) · bg инициатор (one who initiates) · es iniciador (one who initiates) · fr initiateur (one who initiates) · fi initiaattori (medicine: material whose presence in the body eventually leads to cancer) · ru инициа́тор (one who initiates) · ja 言い出しっ屁 (one who initiates) · cmn 创办者，发起人 (one who initiates) · de Initiator (one who initiates) · fi alullepanija (one who initiates) · uk основополо́жниця (one who initiates) · de Initiatorin (one who initiates) · fi käynnistäjä (one who initiates)