Main Entry: op·er·a·tor

Pronunciation: \ˈäp-(ə-)ˌrāt-ər\

Function: noun

1 : one (as a dentist or surgeon) who performs surgical operations
2 : a binding site in a DNA chain at which a genetic repressor binds to inhibit the initiation of transcription of messenger RNA by one or more nearby structural genes—called also operator gene; compare operon