grader
UK: ˈɡreɪdə | US: ˈɡreɪdər
n. a person or machine that grades or evaluates something (e.g., test papers, agricultural products)
n. a student in a specific grade level (e.g., "a fifth grader")
n. a piece of heavy equipment used to level or smooth surfaces (e.g., road grader)
The word "grader" combines "grade," derived from Latin gradus (step, degree), with the suffix "-er," indicating an agent or tool. Originally tied to the idea of ranking or progression (e.g., school grades), it expanded to machines that "level" surfaces metaphorically. The logic reflects functional evolution: from human evaluators to mechanical levelers, all tied to the core concept of "grading."
The teacher used a rubric to speed up her work as a grader.
My son is a proud third grader this year.
The construction crew used a grader to flatten the dirt road.
Automated graders save time on large-scale assessments.
The farmer adjusted the potato grader to sort by size.