comparator

[ kuhm-par-uh-ter, kom-puh-rey- ]

/ kəmˈpær ə tər, ˈkɒm pəˌreɪ- /

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noun

any of various instruments for making comparisons, as of lengths or distances, tints of colors, etc.

Electronics. a circuit for comparing two signals, as readings of duplicate information stored in a digital computer, and for giving an indication of agreement or disagreement between them.

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Origin of comparator

First recorded in 1880–85; from Late Latin comparātor “a comparer”; see compare, -tor

Words nearby comparator

comparative pathology, comparative philology, comparative psychology, comparative religion, comparative statement, comparator, compare, compare and contrast, compare notes, comparison, comparison microscope

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use comparator in a sentence

The most important of these “tricks” is the use of a “standard” or “comparator”.
The Atomic Fingerprint|Bernard Keisch
The lieutenant put the retinal photos in the comparator, took a good look, and nodded.
Unwise Child|Gordon Randall Garrett
Put the sample and comparator together into a reactor and bombard them with neutrons.
The Atomic Fingerprint|Bernard Keisch
In the comparator Vickers brought the corresponding standard comparison lines together.
The Year When Stardust Fell|Raymond F. Jones

British Dictionary definitions for comparator

comparator

/ (kəmˈpærətə) /

noun

any instrument used to measure a property of a system by comparing it with a standard system

an electric circuit that compares two signals and gives an indication of the extent of their dissimilarity

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