actuatorn.
/ˈaktʃʊeɪtə/, U.S. /ˈæk(t)ʃəˌweɪdər/ 1. A person who or thing which actuates something; spec. God, regarded as the motive force of the universe (cf. author n. 4c, mover n.1 1a).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > motivation > [noun] > incitement or instigation > one who incites or instigates > first or chief
moverc1385
motor1600
prime mover1633
actuator1652
apostle1810
prophet1842
1652 A. Burgess Spiritual Refining xliii. 264 The Scripture saith, In him we live, and move, and have our being; and God is the Author and Actuator of nature.
1680 H. More Apocalypsis Apocalypseos xxii. 235 The Lamb, who in right of his Father is Supreme Governour over all, and the immediate actuator of his Vicegerents.
1771 C. Walmesley Gen. Hist. Christian Church x. 349 Satan..is the soul and actuator of that [Roman] Empire.
?1800 J. Birch Bk. Gospel & Regeneration xviii. 147 Man took Reason in him at the fall, and it became the Actuator of man when Faith died.
1890 C. A. Mercier Sanity & Insanity xii. 299 The higher nerve regions are the actuators of conduct.
1987 W. A. Van Roo Telling about God III. vi. 110 We come to affirm God as the first mover... He is the absolute actuator, giver of being.
2002 R. Kohanovskaya tr. M. T. Stepaniants Introd. Eastern Thought vi. 109 When one recognizes the enjoyer, the object of enjoyment, and the universal Actuator, All has been said.
2. Science and Engineering. A device that causes some other device to move or operate without providing the motive power for it to do so.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > undertaking > beginning action or activity > [noun] > bringing into action > that which or one who > that which
informant1661
actuator1856
activator1904
1856 U.S. Patent 15,539 1/2 The actuator, L, will be raised and depressed and alternately brought in contact with the adjacent inclined faces of the cams.
1931 Electronics Sept. 107/2 The electrostatic actuator consists of a grill or slotted plate which is slipped into the front opening of a condenser microphone.
1956 Spaceflight 1 24/1 Pivoting motors..to provide pitch and yaw control, movement being obtained by electro-hydraulic actuators.
1966 IEEE Trans. Electronic Computers 15 794/1 An electromechanical actuator..propels a small hammer against a single or multipart paper pack and ribbon.
2005 Chicago Tribune (Midwest ed.) 7 Aug. vi. 13/1 (advt.) Fuel system components such as fuel controls, actuators, servovalves, and pumps.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1652