Meaning & use
operate
To work, function, or control the working of a machine, business, or system.
See it in a sentence
The factory operates twenty-four hours a day during the busy holiday season.
She learned to operate the new crane after a week of safety training.
A note on using this word
In a medical context, operate specifically means to perform surgery, as in 'the surgeon operated on his knee.'
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. verb
To perform surgery on a patient.
The surgeons operated for nearly six hours to repair the damaged heart valve.
Make it your own
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