sensor

American  

[sen-sawr, -ser] / ˈsɛn sɔr, -sər /

noun

• sensors
  plural

1. a mechanical device sensitive to light, temperature, radiation level, or the like, that transmits a signal to a measuring or control instrument.

2. a sense organ.

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sensor British  

/ ˈsɛnsə /

noun

1. anything, such as a photoelectric cell, that receives a signal or stimulus and responds to it

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sensors
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of sensor

First recorded in 1925–30; sense + -or ²

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Explanation

An electronic device that measures changes in a physical quality (like light or temperature) is a sensor. Your kitchen smoke alarm has a sensor that detects the smoky evidence of your badly burned toast. Sensors, these tiny gadgets that detect a physical property, note any changes in it, and convey a message about it electronically, are found just about everywhere. They detect the presence of carbon monoxide in your house, tell you what the temperature is, and help drivers back up safely, alerting them of any obstacles. Smartphones themselves contain many sensors — detecting vibration, tilt, magnetic fields, and more. Sensor comes from a Latin root meaning "perceive or feel."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sensor sensors

Analog Devices built a machine that used a new type of chemical sensor developed in-house to capture olfactory data from the grape juice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Ukraine’s battlefield-management system, known as Delta, “fully integrates every single drone, every sensor, and every shooting platform into just one single network,” then-U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

This protein acts as a sensor that responds to signals from the environment, diet, and gut microbes.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026

"Beyond fundamental importance, this discovery can enable novel planar device architectures and sensor types, such as vector magnetometry, via measuring the out-of-plane and in-plane anomalous Hall effect signals in the same device," Singh said.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026

The helicopter had been sent from the New York State Police headquarters in Albany; it had, we were told, a special infrared heat sensor.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

"Yes, soldiers from the Home Guard found videos from the vehicles' sensors stored in their systems," Lieutenant Colonel Per Gunnar Grosberghaugen, Norwegian Home Guard spokesperson, confirmed to AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

Scientists measure Antarctic sea ice using satellites equipped with instruments called passive microwave sensors.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Perhaps the biggest unsolved problem is recreating the dexterity of human hands with high-precision sensors and motors, a shortfall that was on full display when the robot loaded my dishwasher.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Eventually, Walmart and its robotics partner designed small robots on wheels with motion and obstacle sensors, and are now installing them in more than a dozen warehouses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

In addition, agents use a growing arsenal of technology: helicopters, night-vision goggles, thermal imaging that picks up body heat, and seismic sensors that detect footsteps along immigrant trails.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

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