Definition of DETECTOR

detector

Meanings

Plural: detectors

Noun

  • any device that receives a signal or stimulus (as heat or pressure or light or motion etc.) and responds to it in a distinctive manner
  • rectifier that extracts modulation from a radio carrier wave
  • electronic equipment that detects the presence of radio signals or radioactivity
  • A device capable of registering a specific substance or physical phenomenon, and that optionally sounds an alarm or triggers a warning.
  • An indicator showing the depth of the water in a boiler.
  • A device capable of registering a specific substance or physical phenomenon, and that optionally sounds an alarm or triggers a warning.
  • A galvanometer, usually portable, for indicating the direction of a current.
  • A device capable of registering a specific substance or physical phenomenon, and that optionally sounds an alarm or triggers a warning.

Origin / Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dētēctor. Equals detect + -or (agent noun forming suffix).

Synonyms

demodulator, sensing element, sensor

Scrabble Score: 11

detector is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
detector is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
detector is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

detector is a valid Words With Friends word