Circulators

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An apparatus designed to promote the motion of fluids or air within a system
2. Devices that facilitate the continuous flow of liquids or gases by creating movement in a closed environment
3. Equipment intended for maintaining circulation by enabling the movement of a medium through a designated pathway

Etymology: The plural "circulators" is simply the form of "circulator", which is "circulate" with the agent suffix "-or" added, so it names a thing or person that circulates something. The suffix came into English through Latin "-tor" (in the form "-ator"), which passed through Old French "-eor" before reaching Middle English as "-our" and later the modern "-or" spelling. The base verb "circulate" goes back to the Latin "circulare", meaning to form a circle or move in a ring, from "circulus", a little circle. The Latin root is "circus", so the same ring-shaped idea sits behind both the Roman racecourse and the everyday word "circle".

Synonyms: distributors, disseminators, spreaders, routers, conveyors

Antonyms: collectors, gatherers, receivers