Formatter

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tool or mechanism that arranges text or data in a particular way for clarity or consistency
2. A person or software that organizes information into a specified format to enhance presentation
3. The act of adjusting or modifying content to fit a defined structure or style for improved readability and understanding

Etymology: "Formatter" is a plain, transparent formation: the verb "format" with the agent suffix "-er" attached, so it names something that formats. The verb "format" itself comes from the Latin "formatus," the past participle of "formare," meaning "to form" or "to shape," which is also the source of "form." The suffix does the same job as in "writer" or "baker," turning an action into the thing that performs it. In its everyday sense, a formatter is a device or program that arranges material into a set layout. A word processor's style tools, a disk-preparation utility that prepares a storage medium, or a machine that arranges printed text into columns all fit the description. The noun thus follows the verb's shift from shaping an object to arranging information, a sense that developed alongside computing.

Synonyms: arranger, organizer, styler, editor, designer