Explain the concept of an interpreter and its role in code processing.

An interpreter is a program that executes code by analyzing and executing it line-by-line or in blocks without prior compilation into machine code. Its role is to read the source code, convert it into an intermediate representation, and execute commands immediately, which allows for quick program execution and easier debugging. For example, in Python, the interpreter reads the script, converts it into bytecode, and executes it on a virtual machine, providing flexibility and cross-platform compatibility.