actuator

noun

ac·tu·a·tor | \ ˈak-chə-ˌwā-tər

How to pronounce actuator (audio)

, -shə- \

Definition of actuator

: one that actuates specifically : a mechanical device for moving or controlling something

Examples of actuator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The problem, later discovered, was an actuator that had been serviced with oil that was too viscous. — Shem Malmquist, Wired, "The Plane Paradox: More Automation Should Mean More Training," 24 Apr. 2021 Usually, the finding is a tire that has become worn, a brake that is near its limit or a hydraulic actuator that move a flight control (such as the flaps on the wings) that is leaking. — John Cox, USA TODAY, "How often do airline pilots find problems during preflight walk-arounds?," 22 Apr. 2021 And noise is a key indication of the health of an actuator or a gear chain. — Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, "We’ve Never Heard What Mars Sounds Like. Percy Will Change That.," 18 Feb. 2021 Once activated, rather than powering an LCD display, the electronics at the heart of the test power a linear actuator – essentially a small motor, which raises a series of bumps on the top, if the user is pregnant. — Marija Butkovic, Forbes, "Accessible Design Matters - RNIB Creates A Revolutionary Prototype Of A Pregnancy Test For Blind And Partially Sighted People," 3 Mar. 2021 The figure below from the Seagate event, pointing out that 30TB and higher mass storage HDDs will include Seagate’s dual-actuator, Mach-2 technology, in addition to HAMR. — Tom Coughlin, Forbes, "Seagate: High Capacity HDDs Have Better TCO Than SSDs," 25 Feb. 2021 The alternate entrance is used by customers who ask about it, said manager Juan Salazar, or see the actuator push pad near the sidewalk facing Clinton Street. — Eddie Morales, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "In Waukesha, preserving the city's historic spaces comes at the cost of accessibility," 4 Nov. 2020 However, an actuator can be placed almost anywhere, with stiffer materials working better than softer materials. — Jonathon Ramsey, Car and Driver, "Continental Plays with the Future of Car Audio," 25 Oct. 2020 For example, automatic doors with motion sensors or actuator push pads are optionally installed. — Eddie Morales, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "In Waukesha, preserving the city's historic spaces comes at the cost of accessibility," 4 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'actuator.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

2 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Actuator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actuator. Accessed 7 May. 2021.

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