echolocation

American  

[ek-oh-loh-key-shuhn] / ˌɛk oʊ loʊˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the general method of locating objects by determining the time for an echo to return and the direction from which it returns, as by radar or sonar.

2. Zoology. the sonarlike system used by dolphins, bats, and other animals to detect and locate objects by emitting usually high-pitched sounds that reflect off the object and return to the animal's ears or other sensory receptors.

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echolocation British  

/ ˌɛkəʊləʊˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. determination of the position of an object by measuring the time taken for an echo to return from it and its direction

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echolocation Scientific  

/ ĕk′ō-lō-kā′shən /

1. Sonar, especially of animals, such as bats and toothed whales.

2. See more at sonar

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Etymology

Origin of echolocation

First recorded in 1940–45; echo + location

Explanation

Echolocation is what some animals use to locate objects with sound rather than sight. Bats, for example, use echolocation to find food and avoid flying into trees in the dark. Echolocation involves making a sound and determining what objects are nearby based on its echos. Many animals use echolocation, including dolphins and whales, and humans do as well. Some blind people use taps or clicks and the resulting sound waves to navigate, and sonar uses echolocation to steer submarines through deep, dark water. The noun echolocation dates from the mid-twentieth century, a combination of echo, from the Greek ekhe, "sound," and location, with the Latin root locus, "a place."

Example Sentences

Their success depends on powerful, low-frequency echolocation calls that can detect birds at long distances.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2025

Nearly blind, they rely on echolocation - high-pitched sound pulses that bounce off objects and return as echoes - to navigate murky waters.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2025

Dolphins and bats both utilizing echolocation or birds and bugs both having wings are other examples of convergent evolution.

From Salon • Aug. 15, 2024

This also creates a distinctive bat echolocation attack sequence, which researchers played for tiger beetles to see how they would respond.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

“Bats go to work at night. They ‘see’ in the dark using a special skill called echolocation.

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein