Adjacent Words

Regulator definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

REG'ULATOR, n.
1. One who regulates.
2. The small spring of a watch, which regulates its motions by retarding or accelerating them.
3. Any part of a machine which regulates its movements.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: any of various controls or devices for regulating or controlling fluid flow, pressure, temperature, etc.
2: an official responsible for control and supervision of a particular activity or area of public interest
3: a control that maintains a steady speed in a machine (as by controlling the supply of fuel) [syn: governor, regulator]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1655 1. one that regulates 2. regulatory gene

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Regulator Reg"u*la`tor (-l?`t?r), n. 1. One who, or that which, regulates. 2. (Mach.) A contrivance for regulating and controlling motion, as: (a) The lever or index in a watch, which controls the effective length of the hairspring, and thus regulates the vibrations of the balance. (b) The governor of a steam engine. (c) A valve for controlling the admission of steam to the steam chest, in a locomotive. 3. A clock, or other timepiece, used as a standard of correct time. See Astronomical clock (a), under Clock. 4. A member of a volunteer committee which, in default of the lawful authority, undertakes to preserve order and prevent crimes; also, sometimes, one of a band organized for the comission of violent crimes. [U.S.] A few stood neutral, or declared in favor of the Regulators. --Bancroft.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(regulators) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. A regulator is a person or organization appointed by a government to regulate an area of activity such as banking or industry. An independent regulator will be appointed to ensure fair competition. N-COUNT • regulatory ...the UK's financial regulatory system. ADJ: ADJ n