navigator
UK: ˈnæv.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tər | US: ˈnæv.ə.ɡeɪ.t̬ɚ
n. 1. A person who directs the route or course of a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle.
n. 2. (Historical) An explorer or seafarer, especially one who charts unknown territories.
n. 3. (Computing) A program or tool used to browse the internet or files.
navigator = nav<ship> + ig<drive> + ator<agent suffix>
- nav (from Latin navis, meaning "ship")
- ig (from Latin agere, meaning "to drive" or "to lead"; evolved into -ig- in compounds)
- ator (Latin agent suffix -ator, meaning "one who does")
Etymology Origin:
The word navigator traces back to Latin navigare ("to sail"), combining navis (ship) and agere (to drive). Over time, -ig- emerged as a linking element in Latin derivatives, while -ator marked the actor (e.g., navigator = "one who drives a ship"). The term later expanded to include modern contexts like digital "navigation."
The ship’s navigator plotted a course through the storm.
Early Polynesian navigators crossed vast oceans using the stars.
Google Chrome is a popular web navigator.
The astronaut trained as a lunar module navigator.
The hiking app acts as a trail navigator.