scanner

[ skan-er ]

noun

1. a person or thing that scans.
2. Also called op·ti·cal read·er [op, -ti-k, uh, l , ree, -der],. Computers. a device that scans printed, handwritten, barcode, or other visual data and encodes it into digital format. optical scanning.
3. Photography. any device for exposing an image on film, a sensitized plate, etc., by tracing light along a series of many closely spaced parallel lines.
4. (in aerial photography) a device for estimating the ratio of aircraft speed to aircraft altitude.
5. a photoelectric device for scanning a picture to determine automatically the density of the hue or value in each area for transmission by wire or radio or for preparation of color process printing plates.
6. a computer-aided electronic system using photoelectric cells to separate copy, as color illustrations, into its primary colors, correct color copy, and produce a set of color separations ready for proofing or printing.
7. Radio. a radio receiver, used especially by police, firefighters, and the press, that continuously tunes to preselected frequencies, broadcasting any signal that it detects.
8. Medicine/Medical, Biology. a device for examining a body, organ, tissue, or other biologically active material. CAT scanner, MR scanner, PET scanner, sonogram.

scanner

/ ˈskænə /

noun

1. a person or thing that scans
2. a device, usually electronic, used to measure or sample the distribution of some quantity or condition in a particular system, region, or area
3. an aerial or similar device designed to transmit or receive signals, esp radar signals, inside a given solid angle of space, thus allowing a particular region to be scanned
4. See ultrasound scanner, nuclear magnetic resonance scanner, CAT scanner
   any of various devices used in medical diagnosis to obtain an image of an internal organ or part See CAT scanner nuclear magnetic resonance scanner ultrasound scanner
5. informal.
   a television outside broadcast vehicle
6. See optical scanner
   short for optical scanner
7. printing an electronic device which scans printed material and converts it to digital form

Word History and Origins

Origin of scanner¹

First recorded in 1550–60; scan + -er ¹

Example Sentences

They needed additional staff and scanners to process ballots.

From Time

At National Airport, the TSA is rolling out the use of face scanners to verify travelers’ identities.

From Washington Post

Mandavia saw huge potential in spreading the use of scanners to diagnose a wide range of life-threatening conditions.

From Fortune

The company now has about five developers, as well as designers and translators as all efforts focus on building and improving the scanner.

From TechCrunch

In addition, election officials in every county must hand-count the ballots in two randomly selected precincts to ensure that vote totals match the tabulation results from the digital scanners.

From Washington Post

Chicago provides crime reporters and amateur scanner-chasers with more grit and brutality than they can handle combined.

From The Daily Beast

As with the fingerprint scanner of the iPhone 5s, the larger screen means that the phone will cost more.

From The Daily Beast

But can a scanner the size of a TV remote really tell when that chicken goes bad?

From The Daily Beast

“If we can pop smoke we can get the wounded out of the way,” one reported on the scanner.

From The Daily Beast

Mike checked in at the 10th electoral district, got his ballot, made marks next to his choices and fed it into the scanner.

From The Daily Beast

Miller, who had been at the scanner searching over the alien ship at close range, reeled out of his seat, clutching at his eyes.

From Project Gutenberg

The psychologist settled himself in the chair, leaned forward and peered into the scanner.

From Project Gutenberg

He was stooped slightly forwards, peering absorbedly through the eyepieces of the operator scanner before him.

From Project Gutenberg

But something went wrong, the scanner picked up this planet, and I was coming through, and then something blew.

From Project Gutenberg

The machine's crowning glory was a big bowl-shaped sort of thing that didn't quite succeed in looking like a radar scanner.

From Project Gutenberg