detector
Americannoun
-
a person or thing that detects.
-
a device for detecting smoke, fire, or some other hazardous condition.
-
a device for detecting the presence of metal, contraband, or other items that might be hidden or concealed.
-
Telecommunications.
-
a device for detecting electric oscillations or waves.
-
a device, as a crystal detector or a vacuum tube, that rectifies the alternating current in a radio receiver.
-
noun
-
a person or thing that detects
-
any mechanical sensing device
-
electronics a device used in the detection of radio signals
Etymology
Origin of detector
1535–45; < Late Latin dētēctor revealer, equivalent to Latin dēteg ( ere ) to uncover, reveal ( see detect) + -tor -tor
Explanation
A detector is a machine that responds to particular substances in a consistent way. Everyone who flies on an airplane must pass through a metal detector, which beeps when it senses metal. A "lie detector" works by measuring pulse and eye movements as a person responds to a series of questions. A radioactivity detector looks for high levels of radioactivity in nuclear power plants. Since the invention of detectors, the idea of more fantastical detectors has filled the human imagination. A love detector: why not?
Vocabulary lists containing detector
Seedfolks
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Dogs at Work"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Mark of Athena
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Their detailed modeling, which included both the telescope detector and a realistic Moon orbiting satellite mission, suggests that one telescope could map five important elements in about two years.
From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2026
Researchers have now developed a compact new detector that combines quantum physics with a specially engineered metasurface to significantly improve the way terahertz radiation is captured and converted into electrical signals.
From Science Daily • May 31, 2026
Because the detector signals are noisy and highly encoded, the AI learns the complicated relationship between those signals and the actual spectrum of light.
From Science Daily • May 26, 2026
Filip lives in Bergeijk in the south of the Netherlands, just a few miles from the Belgian border and has been a metal detector enthusiast for more than 35 years.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
He looked back to his friend, whose leg was awkwardly twisted up and behind him, rigid against the side of the metal detector.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
