interpreter
noun
in·ter·pret·er
in-ˈtər-prə-tər
-pə-
plural interpreters
1
: someone or something that interprets: such as
a
: someone who translates for individuals or groups conversing in different languages
an interpreter at the United Nations
a sign language interpreter
b
: someone who explains or expounds
Aside from his Nobel Prize-winning work on quantum electrodynamics (don't ask), [Richard P.] Feynman was an interpreter of Maya hieroglyphics …—Pam Freir
2
a
: a machine that prints on punch cards the symbols recorded in them by perforations
b
: a computer program that executes each of a set of high-level instructions before going to the next instruction
Cite this Entry
“Interpreter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interpreter. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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