A tool or device used to apply something, like paint, glue, or medicine, to a surface or area.
From Latin 'applicare' (to attach or apply) plus the agent suffix '-tor' meaning 'one who does.' The word entered English in the 1800s as industrial and medical tools became more specialized.
Applicators are everywhere in modern life—from mascara wands to paint rollers to medical swabs—yet we rarely notice them. The design of an applicator is crucial: a mascara applicator's spiral shape is engineered to separate and coat each lash differently than a brush would.
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