1. (v.i.)operate to work, perform, or function, as a machine does.
2. operate to exert force or influence (often fol. by on or upon).
3. operate to perform some process of work or treatment.
4. operate to perform a surgical procedure.
5. operate to carry on military operations in war.
6. operate to give orders and carry out military acts, as distinguished from doing staff work.
7. operate to carry on transactions in securities, or some commodity, esp. speculatively or on a large scale.
8. operate Informal. to insinuate oneself; finagle.
9. (v.t.)operate to manage or use (a machine, device, etc.).
10. operate to put or keep (a factory, industrial system, ranch, etc.) in operation.
11. operate to bring about, effect, or produce, as by action or the exertion of force or influence.
Etymology: (1600–10; < LL operārī, -āre to work, be efficacious, effect, produce, L: to busy oneself, v. der. of opera effort, work)
Definition of 'operate'
Princeton's WordNet
1. (verb)operate, run direct or control; projects, businesses, etc. "She is running a relief operation in the Sudan"
2. (verb)function, work, operate, go, run perform as expected when applied "The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in"; "Does this old car still run well?"; "This old radio doesn't work anymore"
3. (verb)operate, control handle and cause to function "do not operate machinery after imbibing alcohol"; "control the lever"
4. (verb)manoeuver, maneuver, manoeuvre, operate perform a movement in military or naval tactics in order to secure an advantage in attack or defense
5. (verb)operate happen "What is going on in the minds of the people?"
6. (verb)engage, mesh, lock, operate keep engaged "engaged the gears"
7. (verb)operate on, operate perform surgery on "The doctors operated on the patient but failed to save his life"
1. (verb)operate (of a machine) to work correctly The vending machine was not operating.
2. operate to control a machine to make it do its job He operates a crane for the construction company.
3. operate to perform a medical procedure that involves cutting into sb's body We will need to operate if she does not improve.; They had to operate on my father/his heart.
4. operate to be doing business, or making a company do business What permits do I need to operate a hot dog stand in the State of Georgia?; We've been operating as a charity since 2001.
Definitions of operate 
Afrikaans: werk
Arabic: يَعْمَل، تَعْمَل الآلَه
Bulgarian: работя
Brazilian: funcionar
Czech: fungovat, jít
German: arbeiten
Danish: virke; fungere
Greek: λειτουργώ, δουλεύω
Spanish: funcionar
Estonian: toimima, töötama
Farsi: کار کردن
Finnish: toimia
French: marcher, fonctionner
Hebrew: לְהַפעִיל
Hindi: काम करना
Croatian: djelovati, raditi
Hungarian: működik
Indonesian: bekerja
Icelandic: ganga, veraí gangi
Italian: funzionare
Japanese: 操作する
Korean: 작동하다
Lithuanian: veikti, dirbti
Latvian: strādāt; darboties
Malay: berjalan
Dutch: werken
Norwegian: gå, fungere, virke
Polish: obsługiwać działać
Persian: کار کردن
Pashto: د اوپيرا په تياتر كښى كار
Portuguese: funcionar
Romanian: a funcţiona, a merge
Russian: действовать, работать
Slovak: fungovať, ísť
Slovenian: delati
Serbian: raditi
Swedish: arbeta, vara i gång, fung
Thai: ปฏิบัติ
Turkish: çalışmak
Taiwanese: 運轉
Ukrainian: діяти; працювати
Urdu: چلنا، کام کرنا
Vietnamese: điều khiển
Chinese: 运转
