ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌlād.ə(r), -lātə- noun
( -s )
: one that regulates: as
a.
(1) : one of a board of seven appointed by King James II in 1687 with powers to appoint and remove officers and freemen at their discretion for the purpose of influencing the election of members of Parliament
(2) usually capitalized : a member of any of various associations of the poorer people in No. Carolina existing from 1767 to 1771, formed to resist official extortion, refusing to pay taxes, and committing many deeds of violence
(3) : a member of any of various bands or volunteer committees in the United States formed in newly occupied or settled regions before the establishment of local government to preserve order, prevent crime, and administer justice
b.
(1) : a person who regulates mechanisms (as clocks) or conditions (as of traffic)
(2) : a worker who hangs or bolts up ship plates on the frame of a ship
c.
(1) : an automatic device for maintaining the current, voltage, speed, or other characteristic of a machine, transformer, or comparable device at a specified value or for adjusting these quantities at will
(2) : a lever or index in a watch for altering the effective length of the hairspring to make the watch go faster or slower
(3) : an accurate master clock used for timing watches and clocks — compare astronomical clock
(4) : governor 4b
(5) : a sliding door for controlling ventilation in a mine
(6) : a balance valve for controlling the admission of steam to the steam chest in a locomotive
(7) : a reducing valve or steam-pressure regulating device
(8) Britain : a throttle on a locomotive
d.
(1) : a substance added in a reaction to regulate the amount of another substance formed
(2) : growth regulator
(3) : plant regulator