smoke detector
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of smoke detector
First recorded in 1925–30
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.
The Orion spacecraft that transported the crew during their voyage ran into several glitches, including a smoke detector going off near the end of the trip.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
“It’s like an alarm from a smoke detector that you’re just waiting for somebody to turn off.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2025
Cooking a burger in the oven feels odd, and pan-searing on high heat risks setting off the smoke detector.
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2025
He said the smoke detector may not have sounded because the door of the bedroom was closed.
From BBC ● Nov. 18, 2024
In the first she flew up to the ceiling and began puffing at the smoke detector mounted above his door.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
