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  • QR code
    QR code
    the brand name for a matrix barcode that is read by photographing it with the camera of a smartphone or other mobile device that is equipped with a 2D barcode reader.
  • QR Code
    QR Code
    noun
    a type of bar code that can be read both horizontally and vertically, allowing large amounts of information to be encoded in it

QR code

American  
[kyoo-ahr kohd] / ˈkjuˈɑr ˌkoʊd /
Trademark.
  1. the brand name for a matrix barcode that is read by photographing it with the camera of a smartphone or other mobile device that is equipped with a 2D barcode reader.

    Scan the QR code in our print ads to link to special offers on our website.


QR Code British  

noun

  1. a type of bar code that can be read both horizontally and vertically, allowing large amounts of information to be encoded in it

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of QR code

First recorded in 1990–95; abbreviation of quick-response code

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

With PIX built into banking apps, users can send money using a cellphone number, tax ID, email address, PIX code or QR code.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 18, 2026

Payments can be even easier using a merchant's QR code.

From Barron's Jul. 14, 2026

After taking the photo, visitors simply scan the QR code on the sign below and upload it to the CoastSnap website.

From BBC Jul. 9, 2026

Don’t miss: ‘It feels like a medical miracle’: How did a single QR code coupon cut my $618 Walgreens prescription to $15?

From MarketWatch Jun. 24, 2026

I took the bookmark, which had a pretty logo, a Scrollr link, and a QR code.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

“Once deployed, prior to entering, all members must scan their physical or digital membership card by placing the barcode or QR Code against the scanner.”

From Salon Aug. 29, 2024

“Prior to entering, all members must scan their physical or digital membership card by placing the barcode or QR Code against the scanner,” the Costco website says.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 8, 2024

In 2022, when the island nation’s economy collapsed and the government announced a QR code system to ration gasoline, a meme spread online: “Scanning Fuel QR Code Now Makes You Forget Last Three Months.”

From New York Times Mar. 9, 2024

Scan the QR Code on the computer with your phone.

From The Verge Apr. 8, 2022

Federation President Yon de Luisa said fans buying tickets will have to register their personal information and present a QR Code and identification at stadium entrances.

From Seattle Times Jan. 18, 2022

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