Definition: compiler

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Source: WordNet (r) 1.7 

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

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) 

Compiler \Com*pil"er\, n. [OE. compiluor; cf. OF. compileor, fr.
   L. compilator.]
   One who compiles; esp., one who makes books by compilation.

Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (2003-OCT-10) 

compiler

   <programming, tool> 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)