Word of the Day: Operate
There are a few different ways to use the word “operate”; however, the basic meaning is to do something or to use a machine or a tool.
- Do you know how to operate a digital camera?
- Can you operate a car that has a manual transmission?
- The C.I.A. operates in countries all over the world.
- My uncle operates a farm with over 300 acres. (In this sentence, “operate” means to manage.)
- The doctor who operated on a man with gunshot wounds saved the man’s life.
The word “operation” is a noun. It’s used for medical procedures, planned situations, and the skilled use of machines:
- The doctor performed an operation.
- Several operations were necessary to cure the patient.
- The military operation lasted for several days.
- The operation of this machine will require some training.
A person can be an operator, but this word is usually used for a person who answers phone calls at a large company or transmits phone calls to the proper location:
- The operator helped Antonio place a call to Italy.
- An operator answered when someone called 911.
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with O page to see the list of all words starting with letter O. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
