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 ) ( see 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

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

Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the consultants had been “unable to compel” other agencies to share their automatic vehicle locator data.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

Artemis was performing a little field surgery on the fairy locator.

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