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

The researchers successfully transmitted the quantum signals across an optical fiber link spanning more than 120 kilometers between the encoder and decoder.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

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 serves as a base for the other users and is the key to avoiding the long calibration process.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2024

Surely the secret decoder ring would be a more thrilling prize to find inside the box than yet another uninteresting sticker, but either way, one can still enjoy the popcorn.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

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