1 (function) [+machine, system, principle, mind] funcionar; [+person] actuar; obrar; [+law] regir she knows how to operate in a crisis sabe cómo actuar or obrar en los momentos difíciles; we operate on the principle that ... partimos del principio de que ...; special laws operate in Northern Ireland en Irlanda del Norte rigen leyes especiales
ceiling and wall lights can operate independently the number of fax machines operating around the world has now reached 10 million the computer generates a small amount of heat as it operates men who are used to operating in a very macho world will not be comfortable here boy, you're operating on all cylinders today! the system operates on two levels his words operated on all our minds how do accounting records operate? the world of work doesn't operate that way this principle of expansion is still operating and that the galaxies are expanding all the time because of the way the law operates, he may get off scot free this sums up the peculiar way in which Stewart's mind operates /this is the way the human mind operates/ too - it's a defensive instinct to assume the worst from the unknown
2 (act, influence) [+drug, propaganda] actuar;on sobre; [+factors] intervenir advertising operates on the subconscious la publicidad actúa sobre el subconsciente
the distinction lies in the level at which the different types of medicine operate the process by which advertisements operate to project a latent meaning behind an overt message several factors operated to produce this situation he came to recognize the same factors operating in the relationship between his father and himself there are dozens of other variables operating here there were two forces operating within her life that were causing her pain
3 (carry on one's business) [+person] trabajar; [+company, factory, criminal, service] operar; [+airport] funcionar we shall be operating under difficult conditions trabajaremos en unas condiciones difíciles; we were operating at a loss estábamos operando con déficit; an airline operating out of Heathrow una compañía aérea con base en Heathrow or que opera desde Heathrow; a drug ring operating in New York una red de narcotráfico que opera en Nueva York; this service does not operate on Sundays este servicio no opera or no funciona los domingos; all flights are operating normally todos los vuelos están operando con normalidad
they can't operate efficiently on so little money we are operating according to very specific guidelines allowing commercial banks to operate in the country it was agreed that British Sky was operating unlawfully by transmitting via the satellite there are five homoeopathic hospitals, operating mainly on an outpatient basis power, water and sanitation facilities are operating at maximum capacity the excursion boat that operates from the marina a real-life Nazi spy ring that had been operating in the U.S.A only the airports were still operating properly industry is not operating at peak efficiency the plant is no longer operating - it was closed down last year an irregular force of Confederate cavalry often operating behind Federal lines
4 (Med) operar you examine a patient and then you decide whether to operate
to operate on sb (for sth) operar a algn (de algo); she was operated on for appendicitis la operaron de apendicitis; to operate on sb's back/eyes operar a algn de la espalda/de la vista
he has still not been operated on
