[lispm]

> This is because "compiler" is referring specifically to when assembly is emitted

SBCL has both an in-core compiler (compiles to machine code in memory) and a file compiler (compiles to machine code in an file).

SBCL also has an interpreter (relatively new and which usually is not used), which executes Lisp source as data.

[omaranto]

I didn't know SBCL had an interpreter! (For those who didn't know either, see [1].) When would you use it?

[1] http://www.sbcl.org/manual/#Interpreter

[lispm]

In other implementations, interpreters are used for tools like source steppers or custom tracers...