Doppler

American

[dop-ler] / ˈdɒp lər /

noun

Christian Johann, 1803–53, Austrian physicist: discovered the Doppler effect.

Doppler Scientific

/ dŏp′lər /

Austrian physicist and astronomer who in 1842 explained the effect, now named for him, of variations in the frequency of waves as a result of the relative motion of the wave source with respect to the observer.

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.

“At 8:53 a.m. Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area,” an alert warned.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025

Or when they include plans to destroy the very Doppler radars that scientists need to track these storms—because people think that that equipment is controlling the weather, not just detecting it.

From Slate • Oct. 11, 2024

Their Earthcare satellite used a Doppler radar to capture the view.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2024

It also carries the first space-based Doppler radar to track the motions of clouds and probe how they fuel storms.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 5, 2024

The only way to clock the speed of a galaxy is by using the Doppler effect—the same principle used in state troopers’ radar guns.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023