locator

American

[loh-key-ter, loh-key-ter] / ˈloʊ keɪ tər, loʊˈkeɪ tər /

Sometimes locater.

noun

a person who locates something.
a person who determines or establishes the boundaries of land or a mining claim.

Etymology

Origin of locator

1600–10; < Latin locātor a contractor, lessor, equivalent to locā ( re ) ( locate ) + -tor -tor

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.

“He’s not coming up in the detention locator yet.”

From Salon • Mar. 2, 2026

Despite the national conversation, the House failed to approve a bill Tuesday that would have required all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems to prevent crashes like the one in D.C.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026

If you went online to the detainee locator, a lot of the time it would say the person is in custody, but it would not tell you where they were.

From Slate • Feb. 17, 2026

Your friend’s access to your miles is linked to the “record locator number” assigned to each airline ticket — and is not linked to your name, says Clint Henderson, managing editor at The Points Guy.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 3, 2025

Messy, but it should suffice, provided the locator wasn’t examined too closely.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

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