compiler
- 01 C1 Advanced
a person who gathers information from different places to create a book, report, or list.
an individual who assembles or collates information from various sources into a single work, such as a dictionary or anthology.
Simple“The compiler of this dictionary spent years gathering new words from the internet.”
In context“As the lead compiler of the annual report, she was responsible for synthesising data from twelve different regional departments into a coherent narrative.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a computer program that changes code written by a person into instructions that a computer can run.
a program that translates source code written in a high-level programming language into a lower-level language, typically machine code, to create an executable program.
Simple“If there is an error in your code, the compiler will show a message and won't finish.”
In context“The developer switched to a more efficient compiler to reduce the final size of the application and improve execution speed on mobile devices.”
UsageUsually a countable noun; often used in the context of 'ahead-of-time' translation compared to an interpreter.
SynonymsAntonyms
From Middle English compilour, from Anglo-Norman compilour, from Old French compileur, from Latin compīlātōrem, equivalent to compile + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.