heterodyne

American  

[het-er-uh-dahyn] / ˈhɛt ər əˌdaɪn /

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to a method of changing the frequency of an incoming radio signal by adding it to a signal generated within the receiver to produce fluctuations or beats of a frequency equal to the difference between the two signals.

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verb (used without object)

heterodyned, heterodyning

1. to produce a heterodyne effect.

verb (used with object)

heterodyned, heterodyning

1. to mix (a frequency) with a different frequency so as to achieve a heterodyne effect.

heterodyne British  

/ ˈhɛtərəʊˌdaɪn /

verb

1. electronics to combine by intermodulation (two alternating signals, esp radio signals) to produce two signals having frequencies corresponding to the sum and the difference of the original frequencies See also superheterodyne receiver

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adjective

1. produced by, operating by, or involved in heterodyning two signals

Etymology

Origin of heterodyne

1905–10; hetero- + -dyne < Greek dýnamis power

Example Sentences

The team created a fully tunable heterodyne receiver, a key component for CV-QKD and CV-QRNG, by writing the optical circuit directly inside borosilicate glass.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

M.B. and J.F. provided the DFB QCLs for the heterodyne experiment.

From Nature • Mar. 25, 2018

Stangier, T., Sonnabend, G. & Sornig, M. Compact setup of a tunable heterodyne spectrometer for infrared observations of atmospheric trace-gases.

From Nature • Mar. 25, 2018

A.M. and D.G. helped with the heterodyne measurements.

From Nature • Mar. 25, 2018

The Autodyne or Self-Heterodyne Long-Wave Receiving Set.—This is the simplest type of heterodyne receptor and it will receive periodic waves from spark telegraph transmitters or continuous waves from an arc or vacuum tube telegraph transmitter.

From The Radio Amateur's Hand Book by Collins, A. Frederick (Archie Frederick)