Link Centre Dictionary

interpreter

in·terp·re·ter

UK/ɪnˈtɜː.pɹɪ.tə/ US/ɪnˈtɝ.pɹɪ.tɚ/ fairly common

noun

1.

someone who mediates between speakers of different languages

Synonyms
2.

someone who uses art to represent something

  • “his paintings reveal a sensitive interpreter of nature”
  • “she was famous as an interpreter of Shakespearean roles”
3.

an advocate who represents someone else''s policy or purpose

  • “the meeting was attended by spokespersons for all the major organs of government”
Synonyms
4.

(computer science) a program that translates and executes source language statements one line at a time

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English interpreter, interpretour, etc., from Old French interpreteur, interpreteeur, etc., from Late Latin interpretātōr, from classical Latin interpretātus (“explained, translated”) + -or (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from interpretārī (“to explain, to translate”), from interpres (“go-between, translator”) + -ārī (“to be ~ed”), q.v. In reference to divine emissaries, a calque of Mercury's Latin epithet interpres divum (“go-between of the gods”). In reference to the rhetorical device, a calque of Latin interpretatio. Equivalent to interpret + -er. Displaced native Old English wealhstod.

Phrases

  • conference interpreter

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.