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REFERENCE

generator

n.
US //ˈdʒɛnɝˌeɪtɝ// UK //dʒˈɛnəɹˌeɪtɐ// gen·er·a·tor
  1. 1 electricity machine (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a machine that turns fuel or movement into electricity.

    a machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.

    Example

    When the storm knocked out the power, the hospital used a backup generator.

    Example

    The construction site relied on a portable diesel generator to power the heavy machinery before the main electrical grid was connected.

    Usage

    Often used with modifiers like 'backup', 'portable', or 'emergency'.
  2. 2 software/computing (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Computing

    a computer program or tool that creates data, text, or images.

    a routine or program that produces a sequence of results or specific data structures.

    Example

    I used an online password generator to create a secure login.

    Example

    The developer implemented a procedural terrain generator to create unique landscapes for every new game session.

    Usage

    Commonly appears in compound nouns like 'random-number generator' or 'static-site generator'.
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  1. 3 source or creator (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Formal

    a person, thing, or event that causes something to happen or exist.

    an agent, person, or entity that originates or produces a particular state or substance.

    Example

    The new factory will be a major generator of jobs for the local community.

    Example

    Tourism has become the primary generator of foreign exchange for the small island nation over the last decade.

    Teacher's tip

    In formal writing, this is often used to describe abstract things like 'revenue', 'interest', or 'employment'.
  2. 4 mathematics (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Math

    a point, line, or shape that is used to create a larger geometric figure.

    an element of a group or a geometric figure that can be used to define or create the entire structure.

    Example

    The teacher explained how a circle can act as a generator for a cylinder.

    Example

    In group theory, a generator is an element that, when combined with itself repeatedly, produces every other element in the set.

Origin

From Latin, from past participle of genero (“beget, father”), equivalent to generate + -or.

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