receiver

American  

[ri-see-ver] / rɪˈsi vər /

noun

• receivers
  plural

1. a person or thing that receives.

2. a device or apparatus that receives electrical signals, waves, or the like, and renders them perceptible to the senses, as the part of a telephone held to the ear, a radio receiving set, or a television receiving set.

3. Law. a person appointed by a court to manage the affairs of a bankrupt business or person or to care for property in litigation.

4. Commerce. a person appointed to receive money due.

5. a person who knowingly receives stolen goods for an illegal purpose; a dealer in stolen merchandise.

6. a device or apparatus for receiving or holding something; receptacle; container.

7. (in a firearm) the basic metal unit housing the action and to which the barrel and other components are attached.

8. Chemistry. a vessel for collecting and containing a distillate.

9. Football. a player on the offensive team who catches, is eligible to catch, or is noted for the ability to catch a forward pass.

   Jones was the receiver of the first pass thrown. He sent all his receivers downfield.

10. Baseball. the catcher.

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receiver British  

/ rɪˈsiːvə /

noun

1. a person who receives something; recipient

2. a person appointed by a court to manage property pending the outcome of litigation, during the infancy of the owner, or after the owner(s) has been declared bankrupt or of unsound mind

3. a person who receives stolen goods knowing that they have been stolen

4. the equipment in a telephone, radio, or television that receives incoming electrical signals or modulated radio waves and converts them into the original audio or video signals

5. the part of a telephone containing the earpiece and mouthpiece that is held by the telephone user

6. the equipment in a radar system, radio telescope, etc, that converts incoming radio signals into a useful form, usually displayed on the screen of a cathode-ray oscilloscope

7. an obsolete word for receptacle

8. chem a vessel in which the distillate is collected during distillation

9. sport a player whose function is to receive the ball, esp a footballer who catches long passes

10. the metallic frame situated behind the breech of a gun to guide the round into the chamber

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receiver Scientific  

/ rĭ-sē′vər /

1. A device, as in a radio or telephone, that converts incoming radio, microwave, or electrical signals to a form, such as sound or light, that can be perceived by humans.

2. Compare transmitter

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prereceiver
  noun
• underreceiver
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• receivers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of receiver

1300–50; 1875–80 receiver for def. 2; receive + -er ¹; replacing Middle English recevour < Anglo-French receivour, recevour (< Old French recevere )

Explanation

What do football, radio, and email have in common? They all involve a receiver! A receiver is a position in American football, a part of a radio that translates the signal, or the person who gets the email you sent. If you collect or accept something, you're a receiver. When an object is a receiver, it's either the part of a telephone that you listen to or the component of a stereo system, radio, or television that receives audio or video signals. Another kind of receiver is the North American football player who takes a position toward the edge of the field and who specializes in passing and catching the ball.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

receiver receivers

Simpson’s fellow rookies — tight end Max Klare, offensive lineman Keagan Trost, receiver CJ Daniels and defensive lineman Tim Keenan — will play.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Last spring, with the Philadelphia Eagles shopping wide receiver A.J.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

“It was very hard to stop because Kenny Moore ran the offense like a college quarterback. He learned to read the defensive end,” said receiver DeWayne Jett.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

Especially during high-traffic times, after waiting in line, you’d pick up a phone still warm from the grip of the inmate who’d just been using it, the receiver still smelling like his breath.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

They require the use of long, random, nonrepeating keys that only the sender and receiver know.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Pagers are small battery operated radio receivers - popular in the 1980s and 1990s - that can receive short text messages, numbers to call, or alerts.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Division 2 champion Corona del Mar, which brings back every starter but one, including player of the year Addison Stern and receivers Mia Balabanian and AnnaSofia Dickens.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

Ed McCaffrey was head coach at Northern Colorado from 2020-22 and had Max on his staff all three seasons, first as receivers coach, then as offensive coordinator for the final two seasons.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

On offense, the Rams boast reigning MVP Matthew Stafford at quarterback along with star wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

The phone rings and rings in the cavernous house, several receivers in different rooms trilling in different keys.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline