ejector
Meaning
a person or thing that ejects something.
a device that ejects or expels something, such as spent cartridges from a firearm, tape from a cassette, or a pilot from an aircraft.
Structure
Usage
the fighter jet is equipped with an advanced ejector seat for pilot safety.
after firing, the automatic ejector expelled the empty shell casing.
the old vcr has a sticky tape ejector that sometimes malfunctions.
Etymology
the word 'ejector' is built upon the latin verb 'eicere', meaning 'to throw out', which itself is a compound of the prefix 'ex-' (out) and the verb 'iacere' (to throw). the english form 'eject' emerged in the late 15th century, derived from the past participle 'ejectus'. the agent suffix '-or' was then appended, following a common latin pattern to denote an instrument or person performing an action. thus, an ejector is literally 'that which throws out', a meaning directly preserved in its modern technical applications, from firearms to aircraft seats.
Analysis
e- (latin origin, prefix meaning 'out'); -ject- (latin origin, root from 'iacere' meaning 'to throw'); -or (latin origin, agent noun suffix meaning 'a person or thing that does something').