operator

/ˈɒpəreɪtə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɑːpəreɪtər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈä-pə-ˌrā-tər ˈä-ˌprā-/ (ame, mw)

operator — 名詞

1. a worker paid to run a machine, large equipment, or sometimes a vehicle

1.名詞B2
釋義

操作員；駕駛

操作或控制機器車輛的人

a worker paid to run a machine, large equipment, or sometimes a vehicle

例句

The crane operator lifted steel beams onto the new station roof.

吊車操作員把鋼樑吊到新車站的屋頂上。

collocation: crane operator

In the factory, one operator stopped the machine before the jam worsened.

在工廠裡，一名操作員在卡住情況變嚴重前停下機器。

operator + machine in workplace context

同義詞
  • driver

    more usual in everyday English for cars, buses, and taxis

  • technician

    focuses more on technical skill and repair than on controlling equipment

  • controller

    suggests directing a system or process, not physically running the machine

文法句型

machine operator

crane operator

camera operator

用法筆記

Often used for industrial equipment, heavy machines, and some formal transport job titles. For ordinary road vehicles, driver is usually the more natural everyday word.

常見錯誤

❌The bus operator smiled and opened the taxi door.
✅The taxi driver smiled and opened the taxi door.
💡For an ordinary car or taxi, driver is the usual word, not operator.

2. a business, or the person behind it, that provides a particular service

2.名詞B2
釋義

經營者；業者

經營某種服務或事業的人或公司

a business, or the person behind it, that provides a particular service

例句

The tour operator changed our hotel after the storm hit Hualien.

那家旅行業者在暴風雨襲擊花蓮後替我們換了飯店。

collocation: tour operator

A local bus operator added two night routes for hospital workers.

一家在地公車業者為醫院員工新增了兩條夜間路線。

business noun before operator

同義詞
  • provider

    stresses supplying a service, especially in business or telecom contexts

  • company

    broader and more general; it does not specifically suggest running a service

  • owner

    focuses on legal ownership, while operator focuses on running the business

文法句型

tour operator

bus operator

mobile operator

用法筆記

Most common after another noun that names the service, as in tour operator or network operator. It is less natural for an ordinary small shop or family restaurant.

常見錯誤

❌My aunt is a restaurant operator near the station.
✅My aunt runs a restaurant near the station.
💡Operator is more common for services such as tours, transport, phones, or gambling than for an everyday restaurant.

3. a worker who joins calls together on a company's or hotel's phone lines

3.名詞C1
釋義

接線生

幫人接通電話的人

a worker who joins calls together on a company's or hotel's phone lines

例句

The hotel operator put my call through to Room 812.

飯店接線生替我把電話轉到 812 號房。

put a call through

When I dialed zero, the operator asked which office I needed.

我撥零之後，接線生問我需要哪一個辦公室。

call the operator by dialing zero

同義詞
  • switchboard worker

    more descriptive and strongly tied to office phone systems

  • telephonist

    an older word, especially in British English

  • receptionist

    may answer calls, but the role is broader than connecting phone lines

文法句型

call the operator

hotel operator

switchboard operator

用法筆記

Common in older phone systems, hotels, hospitals, and large offices. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is a person handling calls, not a company providing phone service.

常見錯誤

❌The phone operator sent me a new SIM card.
✅The phone company sent me a new SIM card.
💡This sense means a person who connects calls, not a telecom business.

4. someone who handles people very cleverly to get an advantage, often by tricking

4.名詞C1
釋義

老江湖

很會周旋並替自己謀利的人

someone who handles people very cleverly to get an advantage, often by tricking them

例句

At dinner, Ben was the smooth operator, flattering both investors until they signed.

晚餐時，Ben 就是那種老江湖，一路奉承兩位投資人，直到他們簽字。

fixed phrase: smooth operator

The salesman looked friendly, but Maya saw an operator behind the smile.

那個業務看起來很親切，但 Maya 看出他笑容背後很會算計。

同義詞
  • schemer

    more clearly negative and stresses secret planning

  • manipulator

    focuses on controlling other people emotionally or socially

  • fixer

    often suggests someone who gets difficult things arranged through contacts

反義詞

文法句型

a smooth operator

clever operator

political operator

用法筆記

Usually slightly negative and often used to admire someone's skill while also suggesting they are not fully honest. Distinguish from sense 1, where operator is a job title for someone controlling equipment.

常見錯誤

❌He is a smart operator, so he can use the new crane.
✅He is a skilled crane operator, so he can use the new crane.
💡Smart operator in this sense means a sly person, not a machine worker.

5. a sign or function in maths that tells you what to do with numbers or values

5.名詞C1
釋義

運算子

計算中表示某種運算的符號或函數

a sign or function in maths that tells you what to do with numbers or values

例句

In 9 - 4, the minus sign acts as the operator.

在 9 - 4 裡，減號就是運算子。

operator = sign in an equation

The class learned how the division operator changes the answer.

班上學了除法運算子如何改變答案。

collocation: division operator

同義詞
  • symbol

    broader; not every symbol tells you to perform an operation

  • function

    can overlap in advanced maths, but function is a wider technical term

  • sign

    everyday wording for visible marks such as + or -

文法句型

plus operator

division operator

logical operator

用法筆記

Used in mathematics, logic, and computing. The word names the sign or function itself, not the numbers on either side of it.

常見錯誤

❌In 8 - 3, the number 3 is the operator.
✅In 8
💡3, the sign - is the operator.' — The operator is the sign or function, not one of the numbers.