read·er / ˈrēdər/ • n. 1. a person who reads or who is fond of reading: the books of Roald Dahl appeal to young readers she's an avid reader. ∎  a person who reads a particular newspaper, magazine, or text: Times readers. ∎ short for lay reader. ∎  a person entitled to use a particular library. ∎  a person who reads and reports to a publisher or producer on the merits of manuscripts submitted for publication or production, or who provides critical comments on the text prior to publication. ∎  a person who reads and grades examinations and papers for a professor. ∎ short for proofreader (see proofread). ∎  a person who interprets the significance of tarot cards, horoscopes, lines in the palm of a hand, etc., so as to predict the future: a tarot reader.2. a person who inspects and records the figure indicated on a measuring instrument: a meter reader.3. a book containing extracts of a particular author's work or passages of text designed to give learners of a language practice in reading.4. (usu. Reader) Brit. a university lecturer of the highest grade below professor.5. a machine for producing on a screen a magnified, readable image of any desired part of a microfiche or microfilm. ∎  Comput. a device or piece of software used for reading or obtaining data stored on tape, cards, or other media.

reader A device for holding or moving a data medium and sensing the data encoded on it. See card reader, document reader.