-ator

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a combination of -ate¹ and -or² that forms nouns corresponding to verbs ending in -ate1 ,denoting a human agent (agitator; mediator; adjudicator) or nonhuman entity, especially a machine (incubator; regulator; vibrator) performing the function named by the verb.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Compare -tor, -or².

Origin of -ator

<Latin -ātor, originally not a suffix, but the termination of nouns formed with -tor-tor from verbs whose stems ended in -ā-; in English, Latin loanwords ending in -ātor have been reanalyzed as derivatives of the past participles in -tus (see -ate¹) and a suffix -or (see -or²), and many new English nouns derived from English verbs based on Latin past participles (e.g., vibrator from vibrate)

Words nearby -ator

atonicity, atony, atop, atopic, atopy, -ator, atorvastatin, -atory, atoxic, ATP, at pains, be at

British Dictionary definitions for -ator

-ator

suffix forming nouns

a person or thing that performs a certain actionagitator; escalator; radiator

Word Origin for -ator

from Latin -ātor; see -ate 1 -or 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012