handler
nounAU, UK /ˈhænd.lə/ · CA, US /ˈhænd.lɚ/
Etymology From Middle English handler, handiller, equivalent to handle + -er.
1
Literally One who handles something (especially manually) or someone.
- The handler of a weapon gets a symbolic sensation of deadly power.
- Although the airline told them it took such action because they might spread the disease in their capacity as food handlers, neither was offered a transfer to other departments.1984 December 8, Christine Guilfoy, “United Not Friendly To Workers With AIDS”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 21, page 1:
2
A controller, trainer, someone who handles a specified thing, animal or person (especially a prizefighter).
- The spy's handler told him to approach the subject by posing as a dog handler.
- They are also very sympathetic, especially Caesar’s orangutan advisor, Maurice (Karin Konoval), who takes a shine to a human moppet (Amiah Miller) he finds hiding in the back of a shack, and the poignant Bad Ape (a scene-stealing Steve Zahn), a mangy chimp who was beaten so often in his zoo-animal days that he came to believe what his handlers were shouting was supposed to be his name.2017 July 7, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, “The ambitious War For The Planet Of The Apes ends up surrendering to formula”, in The Onion AV Club:
3
An advisor or manager providing guidance to a person occupying public office or a prominent position.
- The governor received guidance on how to best disseminate key information to the public from her handler.
4
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Programming, Sciences A subroutine that handles a particular situation such as an event or exception.
- If the expression is a throw, we unwind the stack seeking a handler expression.2006, Hans-Wolfgang Loidl, Trends in Functional Programming, volume 5, page 62:
- Derived terms
- art handler, baggage handler, ballhandler, dog handler, event handler, gunhandler, puckhandler, shiphandler, stall handler, stickhandler, telehandler
- Related terms
- handlebar, handleable, handling, manipulator
- Hyponyms
- event handler, exception handler