inspector
UK[ɪnˈspektə]US[ɪnˈspektər]
n
a person whose job is to check that things are in the correct condition or that people are doing what they should
n
a police officer of middle rank
Morpheme Breakdown
in
spect
or
in
into, upon
spect
look
or
person who
Etymology
The word 'inspector' has a clear lineage from Latin, built on the verb 'inspicere', meaning "to look into, examine". This verb itself is composed of 'in-' (into) and 'specere' (to look). The agent noun suffix '-or' was added to form 'inspector', literally "one who looks into". The term entered English in the 17th century, carrying the core notion of close examination, which evolved into its modern professional senses of an official examiner or supervisory officer.
Analysis
Structure: in (into, upon) + spect (look) + or (person who)
'in-' is a Latin prefix meaning "into, upon, on". 'spect' is from the Latin root 'spectare', meaning "to look at, observe". '-or' is a Latin agent noun suffix denoting "a person or thing that performs an action".
Examples
The health inspector found several violations in the restaurant kitchen.
She was promoted to inspector after ten years on the police force.
A ticket inspector boarded the train to check passengers' fares.