decoder

American  

[dee-koh-der] / diˈkoʊ dər /

noun

1. a person who decodes messages or the like.

2. a device for decoding cryptograms, codes, or the like, as an electric or electronic apparatus that transforms arbitrary input signals into letters, words, etc.

3. Navigation. an electronic circuit designed to respond only to certain signals and to reject others.

4. Computers. a circuit designed to produce a single output when actuated by a certain combination of inputs.

5. Television. a box attached to a television set containing circuitry to unscramble encoded signals, as cable-television programs or closed captions, so that the signals can be displayed on the screen.

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decoder Scientific  

/ dē-kō′dər /

1. An electronic or software device that converts telecommunication signals from their transmitted form into a form interpretable to other devices or to human beings.

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Etymology

Origin of decoder

First recorded in 1915–20; decode + -er ¹

Example Sentences

As the titular character of “The Amateur,” Charlie comes off as timid and cautious, both at home and in his professional life as a decoder at the CIA.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2025

But ultimately he would put that through his decoder and his processor and do what was right for the people.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2025

The decoder worked well enough that subjects trained simultaneously for the bar game and the more complicated car racing game, which required thinking several steps ahead to make turns.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2024

The electrodes gather data by measuring electrical signals from the brain, and the decoder interprets that information and translates it into game action.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2024

It was like something was telling me there was a message for me on this flyer but I didn’t have the decoder ring to read what it was.

From "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis

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