vibrator
vibrator Lexical Profile
vibrator Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An electrical or battery-powered device that produces rapid pulsing or oscillating movements, used for therapeutic muscle massage or sexual stimulation.
"The physical therapist used a handheld vibrator to help loosen the patient's tight shoulder muscles."
A mechanical tool or industrial apparatus used to shake, compact, or settle materials such as freshly poured concrete, soil, or bulk powders.
"Construction workers inserted a mechanical vibrator into the wet concrete to eliminate trapped air pockets."
A vibrating reed, spring, or electromechanical component used in musical instruments or older electrical circuits to generate sound or convert direct current into alternating current.
"Vintage car radios relied on a mechanical vibrator to step up the low battery voltage for the vacuum tubes."
Word Nuance & Usage
In everyday modern speech, 'vibrator' used without qualification almost always refers to an adult sexual device; in therapeutic or general retail contexts, 'massager' is preferred to avoid ambiguity.
• Rhymes for vibrator
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the mid-19th century, formed from the verb 'vibrate' (from Latin 'vibrare', meaning to shake or brandish) plus the instrumental suffix '-or'.