converter

or con·ver·tor

[ kuhn-vur-ter ]

/ kənˈvɜr tər /

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See synonyms for converter on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person or thing that converts.

Electricity. a device that converts alternating current to direct current or vice versa.Compare inverter, synchronous converter.

Metallurgy. a chamber or vessel through which an oxidizing blast of air is forced, as in making steel by the Bessemer process.

Television. decoder (def. 5).

Radio and Television. an auxiliary device that permits a receiver to pick up frequencies or channels for which it was not originally designed.

Physics. a reactor for converting one kind of fuel into another kind.

a person who is engaged in converting textile fabrics, especially cotton cloths, from the raw state into the finished product ready for the market by bleaching, dyeing, etc.

Also called con·vert·er lens .Photography. an additional lens attached to a lens in use on a camera to alter focal length, mounted in front of a lens to produce a wide-angle effect (wide-angle converter, or wide-angle converter lens ) or between the lens and the camera body to produce a telephoto effect (teleconverter, or extender ).

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Origin of converter

First recorded in 1525–35; convert¹ + -er¹

Words nearby converter

conversus, convert, converted, converted rice, converted steel, converter, converter reactor, convertible, convertible bond, convertible debenture, convertible insurance

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use converter in a sentence

Both I and the Airstream dealer remained stumped on the cause, but I am open to the possibility that it was unreliable shore power from the campsite or perhaps a malfunctioning converter.
Tested: Airstream’s New Remote-Work Trailer|mlarsen|August 5, 2021|Outside Online
This is likely due to the use of the external interface’s own analog-to-digital conversion rather than the converters inside the microphone, and the end results felt a touch bit more detailed on the high-frequency end.
Samson Q9U review: A studio-worthy mobile-friendly mic|Tony Ware|July 20, 2021|Popular-Science
A standing desk converter is basically a super-powered monitor stand.
Best computer monitor stand: One trusty product to support every screen in your home office|Irena Collaku|July 13, 2021|Popular-Science
It’s a less expensive option than buying a standing desk converter, but you don’t get a keyboard tray.
Best computer monitor stand: One trusty product to support every screen in your home office|Irena Collaku|July 13, 2021|Popular-Science

When you go tall, you give up some style—standing desk converters are bulky brutes.
Best computer monitor stand: One trusty product to support every screen in your home office|Irena Collaku|July 13, 2021|Popular-Science
With the converter in operation, the first step in the cycle was the evacuation of the ducts to a near-perfect vacuum.
Greylorn|John Keith Laumer
He boosted me into the chamber of the converter and pointed out an opening near the top, about twelve by twenty-four inches.
Greylorn|John Keith Laumer
The roaring flames, rushing from the mouth of the converter, changes its violet color to orange and finally to pure white.
The Harris-Ingram Experiment|Charles E. Bolton
To load or charge the converter it is tilted over somewhat to one side so that molten pig iron can be poured into it.
The Romance of War Inventions|Thomas W. Corbin
During the whole time that the metal is in the converter, from twenty to thirty minutes, no fuel is used to keep it hot.
The Romance of War Inventions|Thomas W. Corbin

British Dictionary definitions for converter

converter

convertor

/ (kənˈvɜːtə) /

noun

a person or thing that converts

physics

a device for converting alternating current to direct current or vice versa
a device for converting a signal from one frequency to another or from analogue to digital forms

a vessel in which molten metal is refined, using a blast of air or oxygenSee also Bessemer converter, L-D converter

short for converter reactor

computing a device for converting one form of coded information to another, such as an analogue-to-digital converter

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

Scientific definitions for converter

converter

[ kən-vûr′tər ]

An electrical device that changes the form of an electric signal or power source, as by converting alternating current to direct current, or an analog signal to a digital signal. Compare rectifier transformer.

An electronic device that changes the frequency of a radio or other electromagnetic signal.

converter

or con·ver·tor

Origin of converter

Words nearby converter

Words related to converter

How to use converter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for converter

convertor

Scientific definitions for converter