Actuator

//ˈæk.t͡ʃu.eɪ.tɚ// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Something that actuates something else.

    "The mind is the actuator of the body."

  2. 2
    a mechanism that puts something into automatic action wordnet
  3. 3
    A usually electric device that causes a mechanical device (i.e., a mechanism) to be switched on or off. For example; an electric motor that opens and closes a valve.
  4. 4
    The mechanism that moves the head assembly on a disk drive.
  5. 5
    A relay that controls the flow of electricity.

Synonyms

All synonyms
abettorcomponentenergizergadflygeneratorinspirer

Example

More examples

"That little computer over there is the actuator of everything else in this room."

Etymology

From actuate + -or. First attested in 1652.

Related phrases

disk drive

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.