Dictionary

translator en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌtɹænsˈleɪtɚ/ (General-American)
• /ˈtɹænsleɪtɚ/ (General-American)
• /ˌtɹænzˈleɪtɚ/ (General-American)
• (UK) audio
• [ˌtʰɹænzˈleɪɾɚ] (General-American)
• [ˌtʰɹænzˈleɪtʰɚ] (General-American)
• /ˈtɹɑːnzleɪtə/ (UK)
• /ˈtɹænzleɪtɚ/ (General-American)
• /ˈtɹanzleɪtə/ (UK)

Etymology

Directly from Latin trānslātor and French translator, and also from Middle English translatour, from Old French translatour, translateur, etc., from Latin trānslātor, from trānslātus (“carried across”) + -or (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from trānsferō (“carry across”), from trans (“across”) + ferō (“bear, carry”), q.v. Equivalent to translate + -or.

Meanings

1. A person or thing that translates meaning from one language into another, particularly ▸ A person or thing that translates various forms of text.
2. (proscribed, qualifier:inexact, sometimes) A person or thing that translates meaning from one language into another, particularly ▸ Synonym of interpreter, a person or thing that immediately interprets direct speech.
   • "You don't believe the Soviet Union is going to reduce its defense budget, do you?" Boggs asked. Premier Chou didn't wait for the translator to finish. "Never, never, never," he replied in perfect English. 1980, Gerald Ford, “Boyhood—and Beyond”, in A Time to Heal, New York: Berkley Books, →ISBN, page 95:
3. (figuratively) A person or thing that translates meaning from one language into another, particularly ▸ A person or thing that expresses an idea or style in a new form or medium.
   • Mr. C. Blair Leighton... lithographer... was one of the earliest translators of water and oil pictures by the chromatic process. 1855 June, Gentleman's Magazine, number 657, page 1:
4. (historical) A person or thing that translates meaning from one language into another, particularly ▸ A machine that converts inputs into a pattern of holes on a punch card.
5. (US) A person or thing that translates meaning from one language into another, particularly ▸ A relay station that retransmits incoming television signals after automatically adjusting their frequency to avoid interference.
6. A person or thing that translates meaning from one language into another, particularly ▸ A program that converts commands from one computer language into another.
7. (obsolete) Synonym of carrier, a person who transports something, now particularly (Roman Catholicism, rare) holy relics.
   • ... the translator of the life and miracles of the saints, like the translator of the relics, need not have been "literate"; nor did he have to be a clerk. 2019, Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski, Images of Sainthood in Medieval Europe, page 100:
8. (historical) Synonym of repairer, particularly of leather or cloth goods.
   • Boots and Shoes are not to be had, I am told, in sufficient quantity for the demand from the slop-shops, the "translators," and the second-hand dealers. Great quantities of second-hand boots and shoes are sent to Ireland to be "translated" there. 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, page 33:
9. (historical, slang) A used and repaired shoe, boot, or other item of clothing.
10. (obsolete) Synonym of repeater, a thing that automatically retransmits an incoming message along a telegraph line.
11. (obsolete) A thing that converts energy from one form to another.
12. The retinaculum of asclepiads.

Forms

Deriveds

translatorial · Fortran · scanlator · machine translator · fanslator · translatress · translatorship · translatorese · pretranslator · piezotranslator · cotranslator

Hyponyms

machine translator

Relateds

translate · transfer · translation · translatory

Synonyms

interpreter · carrier · repairer · particularly of leather or cloth goods · dubash · repeater · interpreter

Translations (239)

ta மொழிபெயர்ப்பாளர் (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · uk переклада́чка (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · mi kaiwhakamāori (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · sw mfasiri (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · el μεταφραστής ((inexact) interpreter) · ro interpret ((inexact) interpreter) · nb oversetter (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · io tradukanto (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · fi kääntäjä (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · wa ratourneuse (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · rm translatur (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · lv tulkotāja (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ti ተርጓሚ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · cmn 翻譯 /翻译 (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · la trānslātor ((inexact) interpreter) · pt tradutora ((inexact) interpreter) · pl tłumacz (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ka თარჯიმანი (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · kmr terciman (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · gd eadar-theangair (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · tt тәрҗемәче (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · cmn 翻譯官 /翻译官 (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · as অনুবাদক (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · lo ນາຍພາສາ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · aii ܬܲܪܓܡܵܢܬܵܐ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · cs překladatel (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · hi भाषांतरकार (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · my ဘာသာပြန်သူ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ar تُرْجُمَان (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · is þýðandi (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ps ژباړن (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · es traductor (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · kk аудармашы (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · cmn 翻譯者 /翻译者 (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ang wealhstod (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · io tradukistulo (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · kmr wergêr (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ca traductor (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ti ተርጓሚት (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · se jorgaleaddji (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · it traduttore (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · lo ຜູ້ແປ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · th ผู้แปล (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · zdj mtafsiri (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ru перево́дчик ((inexact) interpreter) · id penerjemah (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · kk аударушы (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · haw mea unuhi (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ro translatoare (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · pdt Äwasata (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · hu fordító (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · sw mfumbua (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · grc μεταφραστής (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · tr çevirmen (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · sh прево̀дилац (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · sms ǩiõlljåårǥlõʹtti (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · la interpres (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · pl tłumaczka (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ka მთარგმნელი (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · la interpres ((inexact) interpreter) · wa tradujheuse (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · fa-ira مُتَرْجِم (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ug تەرجىمان (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · io tradukistino (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ja 翻訳者 (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · as ভাঙনি কৰোঁতা (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · gl tradutora ((inexact) interpreter) · uk переклада́ч ((inexact) interpreter) · sk prekladateľ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · da tolk (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · pdc Iwwersetzer (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ru перево́дчица ((inexact) interpreter) · ur مُتَرْجِم (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ti ተርጓሚት ((inexact) interpreter) · fa-ira تَرْگُمان ((inexact) interpreter) · pt tradutor (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · da oversætter (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · he מְתַרְגֵּם (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · et tõlk (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ro traducător (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · dsb pśełožowaŕ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · gl tradutor (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · de Übersetzerin (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · tr tercüman (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · am አስተርጓሚት (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ps ژباړونکی (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · lv tulkotājs (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · yi איבערזעצער (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · cmn 譯者 /译者 (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · br troour (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · mn орчуулагч (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · vi thông dịch viên (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · sk prekladateľka (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · mk преведувачка (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · eo tradukistino (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · th ล่าม (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · fy oersetter (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · mt traduttur (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · eo virtradukanto (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · es traductora ((inexact) interpreter) · mnc ᡨᡠᠩᠰᡝ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · sh prevòdilac (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · yi איבערזעצערין (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · pt tradutor ((inexact) interpreter) · hsb přełožer (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · kn ಅನುವಾದಕ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · sh prevòditelj (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · eo (neut.) tradukilo (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · cy cyfieithydd (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · io tradukantulo (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · wa ratourneu (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · io tradukisto (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ro translator (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · sl prevajalec (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · fa-ira تَرْگُمان (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ms penterjemah (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · fo umsetari (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · mn хөрвүүлэгч (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · sq përkthyes (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ko 번역자 (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · enm translatour (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · rm translatura (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · vo tradutan (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · st mofetoledi (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ml വിവര്ത്തകന് (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · az tərcüməçi (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · pam talalikas (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · az mütərcim (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · fr traductrice (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · or ଅନୁବାଦକ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · gl tradutora (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · alt тилмеш (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · uk переклада́ч (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · pt tradutora (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · gl tradutor ((inexact) interpreter) · he מְתַרְגֶּמֶת (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · nn omsettar (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · it interprete ((inexact) interpreter) · mr अनुवादक (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · nl vertaalster (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · te అనువాదకుడు (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · bo སྐད་སྒྱུར (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ru перево́дчица (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · km អ្នកបកប្រែ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · el μεταφράστρια (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · tl tagapagsalinwika ((inexact) interpreter) · ba тәржемәсе (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · bg превода́ч ((inexact) interpreter) · ps مترجم (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · fa-ira تَرْجُمان (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · bn অনুবাদক (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · fa-ira مُتَرْجِم ((inexact) interpreter) · fa-ira تَرْجُمان ((inexact) interpreter) · ga aistritheoir (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · cs překladatelka (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ti ተርጓሚ ((inexact) interpreter) · el μεταφραστής (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · oc traductor (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ps ترجمان (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · wa tradujheu (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ur اَنُوَادَک (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · mi kaiwhiringa reo (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ovd yvyrsetter (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · fr traducteur (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · so turjume (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ro traducătoare (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ce гочдархо (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ko 번역가 (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ca traductora ((inexact) interpreter) · hy թարգմանիչ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ca traductor ((inexact) interpreter) · eo tradukisto (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · si පරිවර්තක (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · be перакла́дчык (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · mns-nor толмась (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · mk преведувач (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ar مُتَرْجِمَة (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · eo virtradukisto (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · vo nätäpretan ((inexact) interpreter) · lb Iwwersetzer (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · am አስተርጓሚ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · cmn 翻譯員 /翻译员 (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · nrf traducteux (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · be перакла́дчыца (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ur تَرْجُمان (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · pl translatorka (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · hi अनुवादक (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · nl vertaler (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · es traductora (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · de Übersetzer (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · bg превода́чка (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · hsb přełožowar (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ky котормочу (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · af vertaalster (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ca traductora (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · gu અનુવાદક (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · uz tarjimon (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · cmn 翻譯家 /翻译家 (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · my ဘာသာပြန် (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · io tradukantino (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · la trānslātor (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · tg мутарҷим (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · af vertaler (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · nn omsetjar (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ckb وەرگێڕ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · lt vertėjas (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · eu itzultzaile (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · vo hitradutan (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · eo tradukanto (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · vo jitradutan (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · tg тарҷумон (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · bg превода́ч (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · pl translator (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · fa-ira تیلْماچی ((inexact) interpreter) · cmn 譯員 /译员 (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · vi dịch gỉa (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · fa-ira تَرْجُمال (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · fo tolkur (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · tk terjimeçi (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ru перево́дчик (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · pl przekładacz (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · mi kaiwhakawhiti reo ((inexact) interpreter) · sl prevajalka (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · el μηχανικός μεταφραστής (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · es traductor ((inexact) interpreter) · ar مُتَرْجِم (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · sv översättare (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · ast traductor (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · th นักแปล (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · fo týðari (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · kl nutserisoq (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · eo tradukantino (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · it traduttrice (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · lad terdjuman (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · aii ܬܲܪܓܡܵܢܵܐ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · mk толкувач ((inexact) interpreter) · sh прево̀дитељ (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · sq përkthyese (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another) · sw mtapta (someone or something that translates meaning from one language to another)