comparator
|com-pa-ra-tor|
🇺🇸
/kəmˈpærətɚ/
🇬🇧
/kəmˈpærətə/
thing that compares
Etymology
'comparator' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'comparare', where 'com-' meant 'together' and 'parare' meant 'to prepare/arrange'.
'comparator' changed from the Latin verb 'comparare' via Old French 'comparer' and Middle English 'comparen'; the agentive form (Latin '-ator') produced nouns like 'comparator', which entered English usage to denote one who compares or a device that compares.
Initially, it meant 'one who compares' or simply 'that which compares'; over time it acquired specialized technical senses (for example, an electronic comparator circuit and a programming comparator function), while retaining the general meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a device or circuit (often in electronics) that compares two voltages or currents and produces an output indicating which is larger.
The comparator in the circuit switches its output when the input voltage exceeds the reference.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a function, object, or routine in programming that defines an ordering by comparing two values (used for sorting or ordering).
You need to provide a comparator to the sort method to define how elements should be ordered.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/27 20:39