moderator

(mädər āt′ər)

noun

a person or thing that moderates; specif.,
  1. a person who presides at a town meeting, debate, assembly, etc.
  2. the presiding officer of a governing body, as of the Presbyterian Church
  3. a substance, as graphite or heavy water, used to slow down high-energy neutrons in a nuclear reactor

Origin: ME moderatour < L moderator

See moderator in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. One that moderates, as:
    a. One that arbitrates or mediates.
    b. One who presides over a meeting, forum, or debate.
  2. The officer who presides over a synod or general assembly of the Presbyterian Church.
  3. Physics A substance, such as water or graphite, that is used in a nuclear reactor to decrease the speed of fast neutrons and increase the likelihood of fission.

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