reactor

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree English react Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Latin -ātor Old French -eorbor. Middle English -our ▲ Latin -torlbor. English -or English reactor From react + -or.

1. A person who responds to a suggestion, stimulation or other influence.

   “Altman seees his characters as total reactors; everything they do and say is in response to their environment. They do not seem to exist with lives or qualities of their own.”

   “Here, humans are seen as active participants in all dimensions of their lives, throughout their life course, and not simply passive reactors to the world around them.”

2. A structure used to contain chemical or other reactions.
3. A device which uses atomic energy to produce heat.

   “It limits the rights of nonweapon countries to develop an export business in civilian reactor technology.”

   “It is hoped that a competition to develop small modular reactors (SMRs) will drive billions of pounds of investment into the technology, which the government hopes will be cheaper and quicker to build than traditional large nuclear power plants.”

4. A chemical substance which responds to the presence of, or contact with, another substance.
5. An electrical component with reactance