[W/K] :: compiler

  Compiler \Com*pil"er\ (k[o^]m*p[imac]l"[~e]r), n. [OE.
     compiluor; cf. OF. compileor, fr. L. compilator.]
     1. One who compiles; esp., one who makes books by
        compilation.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Computers) a computer program that decodes instructions
        written in a higher-level computer language to produce an
        assembly-language program or an executable program in
        machine language.
        [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]

  compiler
       n 1: a person who compiles (or writes for) encyclopedias [syn: encyclopedist,
             encyclopaedist]
       2: (computer science) a program that decodes instructions
          written in a higher order language and produces an
          assembly language program [syn: compiling program]

  compiler
       
           A program that converts another program
          from some source language (or programming language) to
          machine language (object code).  Some compilers output
          assembly language which is then converted to machine
          language by a separate assembler.
       
          A compiler is distinguished from an assembler by the fact that
          each input statement does not, in general, correspond to a
          single machine instruction or fixed sequence of instructions.
          A compiler may support such features as automatic allocation
          of variables, arbitrary arithmetic expressions, control
          structures such as FOR and WHILE loops, variable scope,
          input/ouput operations, higher-order functions and
          portability of source code.
       
          AUTOCODER, written in 1952, was possibly the first primitive
          compiler.  Laning and Zierler's compiler, written in
          1953-1954, was possibly the first true working algebraic
          compiler.
       
          See also byte-code compiler, native compiler, optimising
          compiler.
       
          (1994-11-07)