Oxford Essential Dictionary
driver
noun
a person who controls a car, bus, train, etc.:
John is a good driver.
a taxi driver
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
driver
driv‧er S1 W2 /ˈdraɪvə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑drive, ↑driver, ↑driving; verb: ↑drive; adjective: ↑driving]
1. someone who drives a car, bus etc ⇨ chauffeur:
a taxi driver
Do you think you’re a good driver?
2. technical a piece of software that makes a computer work with another piece of equipment such as a printer or a mouse
3. a ↑golf club with a wooden head
⇨ back seat driver at ↑back seat(2), ⇨ Sunday driver at ↑Sunday(3)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + driver
▪ a taxi/bus/truck etc driver Car drivers face a new daily charge to enter the capital.
▪ a racing driver (=driving racing cars in competitions) world famous racing drivers like Lewis Hamilton
▪ a good driver He thinks he’s a very good driver.
▪ a careful/safe driver Since I had the accident, I’m a much more careful driver.
▪ a bad driver There are a lot of bad drivers on the roads.
▪ a dangerous driver Some young men tend to be dangerous drivers.
▪ a reckless driver (=taking risks and not worrying about the results) Reckless drivers should be given more severe punishments.
▪ a drunken/drunk driver (=who has drunk too much alcohol) Her husband was killed by a drunken driver.
▪ a hit-and-run driver (=in which a car driver hits someone and does not stop) The boy was in hospital after being knocked down by a hit-and-run driver.
▪ a learner driver (=who is learning to drive) Learner drivers spend a lot of money on driving lessons.
▪ an experienced driver (=who has a lot of experience of driving) Young drivers are ten times more likely to be killed on the road than experienced drivers.
▪ an inexperienced driver (=who does not have much experience of driving) Many accidents are caused by young or inexperienced drivers.
▪ a delivery driver (=delivering goods to a place) He’s a delivery driver for a pizza takeaway restaurant.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ driver someone who regularly drives, or someone who is driving a car, train, etc at a particular time: Car drivers now pay more than ever for fuel. | The coach was badly damaged, but the driver was unhurt.
▪ motorist [usually plural] especially written someone who drives a car – used especially when talking about car drivers in general: increased taxes on the motorist | Motorists who are caught speeding have to pay a heavy fine.
▪ chauffeur someone whose job is to drive a car for someone else: He was picked up by a chauffeur in a limousine.
▪ trucker American English informal someone who drives a truck: Mexico has no limit on how many hours truckers can drive daily.
▪ road hog informal someone who drives dangerously, without considering the safety of other people on the road, for example by not letting other drivers pass: Some road hogs drive at well below the speed limit, because they want to use their mobile phones.
slave driver
ˈslave ˌdriver BrE AmE noun [countable]
someone who makes people work very hard – used in a disapproving or humorous way
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
driver
driver [driver drivers] [ˈdraɪvə(r)] [ˈdraɪvər] noun
1. a person who drives a vehicle
• a bus/train/ambulance/taxi driver
• She climbed into the driver's seat.
• The accident was the other driver's fault.
• (BrE) a learner driver (= one who has not yet passed a driving test)
• (NAmE) a student driver
• The car comes equipped with a driver's airbag.
2. (in golf) a club with a wooden head
3. (computing) software that controls the sending of data between a computer and a piece of equipment that is attached to it, such as a printer
4. one of the main things that influence sth or cause it to make progress
• Housing is a key driver of the economy.
• Young people are widely perceived as the big pop industry drivers.
see be in the driver's seat at seat n.
Thesaurus:
driver noun C
• She's a good driver.
chauffeur • |especially journalism motorist •
speeding drivers/motorists
be sb's driver/chauffeur
Driver or motorist? Motorist is usually used in journalism to talk about car drivers as a group in society, often to contrast them with pedestrians and cyclists.
Example Bank:
• I can't stand back-seat drivers.
• I didn't drink because I was the designated driver.
• Learner drivers are not allowed on the motorways.
• a campaign aimed at car drivers to promote walking and cycling
• A student driver was injured in the accident.
• Can I see your driver's license please?
• Dangerous drivers face imprisonment.
• He told the driver to turn back.
• Many accidents involve drunk drivers.
• She was run over by a hit-and-run driver.
• She's a good driver.
• She's an experienced and careful driver.
• The ambassador and his driver were both killed in the explosion.
• The window on the driver's side was open.
• There are parking places for disabled drivers.
• What he wanted most was to be a racing driver.
• a bus/train/taxi/truck/lorry driver
• a learner driver
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
driver /ˈdraɪ.vəʳ/ US /-vɚ/
noun [C]
someone who drives a vehicle:
a bus/lorry/truck/taxi driver
The driver of the van was killed in the accident.
driver /ˈdraɪ.vəʳ/ US /-vɚ/
noun [C]
a type of club (= long thin stick) with a wooden head, used in golf
driver
driver /ˈdraɪ.vəʳ/ US /ˈdraɪ.vɚ/
noun [C] SPECIALIZED
a computer program that enables a computer to use other pieces of equipment such as a printer
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
driver
/draɪvə(r)/
(drivers)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
The driver of a vehicle is the person who is driving it.
The driver got out of his van.
...a taxi driver.
N-COUNT
see also back-seat driver
2.
A driver is a computer program that controls a device such as a printer. (COMPUTING)
...printer driver software.
N-COUNT
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
driver
driv·er /ˈdraɪvɚ/ noun, pl -ers [count]
1 a : a person who drives a car, truck, etc.
• Who was the driver at the time of the accident?
• He's a good/careful/fast/bad driver.
• The front door on the driver's side [=the side of the car where the driver sits] is scratched.
- see also backseat driver
b : a person whose job is to drive a vehicle (such as a taxi, truck, or bus)
• We told the taxi driver to take us to the library.
• He likes to sit at the front of the bus, near the driver.
• an ambulance/truck driver
2 technical : a piece of computer software that controls a device (such as a mouse or printer) that is attached to the computer
• There's a problem with the printer's driver.
3 golf : a club that is used for hitting long shots off a tee
in the driver's seat : in a position in which you are able to control what happens
• When his boss went on vacation, he suddenly found himself in the driver's seat.
- see also pile driver