loran

or Lo·ran

[ lawr-an, lohr- ]

noun
  1. a system of long-range navigation whereby the latitude and longitude of a ship or airplane are determined from the time displacement between radio signals from two or more fixed transmitters.

Origin of loran

1
1940–45, Americanism;lo(ng)ra(nge)n(avigation)

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British Dictionary definitions for loran

loran

/ (ˈlɔːrən) /


noun
  1. a radio navigation system operating over long distances. Synchronized pulses are transmitted from widely spaced radio stations to aircraft or shipping, the time of arrival of the pulses being used to determine position

Origin of loran

1
C20: lo (ng-) ra (nge) n (avigation)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for loran

loran

[ lôrăn′ ]


  1. A long-range navigational system, in which a receiver's position is determined by an analysis involving the time intervals between pulsed radio signals from two or more pairs of ground stations of known position. The difference in the timing of the received signals corresponds to differences in distance from the transmitters, and the position of the receiver can be calculated by triangulation. Compare Global Positioning System.

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