scanner

noun

scan·​ner ˈska-nər 

: one that scans: such as

a

: a device for sensing recorded data (as in a bar code)

a supermarket scanner

b

: a radio receiver that sequentially scans a range of frequencies for a signal

c

: a device that scans an image (such as a photograph) or document (such as a page of text) especially for use or storage on a computer

d

: a medical device for scanning a living body to collect diagnostic information see also ct scanner

Examples of scanner in a Sentence

a price scanner at a supermarket

Recent Examples on the Web

Then, before county certification, electronic images created by the scanners for each ballot will be uploaded to a server, where optical character recognition software will be used to tally the votes using the human-readable text. —ABC News, 14 June 2026

Election scanners use the QR code to tabulate votes. —Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 14 June 2026

By the time a scanner flags an exposure, the window has been open for days. —Santhosh Jayaprakash, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

In March, the Police Commission asked the department to report back on what information the company’s scanners collect and share. —Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing scanner

• CAT scanner
• CT scanner

Rhymes for scanner

• banner
• branner
• canner
• fanner
• kanner
• manner
• manor
• planner
• spanner
• tanner

Kids Definition

scanner

noun

scan·​ner ˈskan-ər 

: one that scans: as

a

: a device that senses recorded information

b

: a radio receiver that scans a range of frequencies for a signal

c

: a device that scans an image or document especially for use or storage on a computer

d

: a device for scanning a living body to collect medical information

Medical Definition

scanner

noun

scan·​ner ˈskan-ər 

: a device (as a CT scanner) for making scans of a living body