constructor
/kən'strʌktə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A person or company that builds or creates something, especially buildings or large structures: A constructor is someone who contracts for and supervises the construction of physical structures.
- A person who devises and creates complex systems or abstract entities: In fields like mathematics, computer science, or logic, a constructor is a concept or method for creating new objects from a set.
Usage and Examples
Noun (Person/Company):
- The city hired a reputable constructor to build the new bridge.
- As the lead constructor, her firm was responsible for the entire housing development project.
Noun (Concept/Method):
- In object-oriented programming, a constructor is a special method used to initialize new objects.
- The proof relied on a recursive constructor to build the necessary set.
Advanced Usage and Notes
- The term is often used in formal or technical contexts related to physical construction, engineering, and software development.
- In British English, "constructor" is commonly used in the context of the building industry. In American English, "contractor" or "builder" may be more frequent for the person/company meaning, while "constructor" remains standard in technical jargon (e.g., programming).
- "To act as constructor for": To serve as the building supervisor for a project.
- The firm acted as constructor for several major public works.
Variants and Related Words
- Construct (verb): To build or form by putting together parts.
- Construction (noun): The process or business of building structures.
- Constructive (adjective): Serving a useful purpose; helpful.
- General Contractor (noun): A specific type of constructor who manages a construction project and hires subcontractors.
Synonyms
- Builder
- Contractor
- Developer (in a real estate context)
- Fabricator
- Creator (for the abstract/system meaning)
Related Phrases and Compounds
- Chief Constructor: The head person in charge of a construction project.
- Ship Constructor: A specialist in the design and building of ships. (Note: This is a compound noun using "constructor").
- Constructor Theory: A proposed framework in physics focusing on what physical transformations are possible.
Technical/Idiomatic Usage
- Default Constructor: In computer programming, a constructor method that requires no arguments.
- Copy Constructor: In programming, a constructor that creates a new object as a copy of an existing object.
- Winning Constructor: Often used in motorsports (like Formula 1) to refer to the company that builds the winning car.
- Mercedes was the winning constructor for the seventh consecutive year.
Noun
- someone who contracts for and supervises construction (as of a building)