analogue

an·a·logue | \ ˈa-nə-ˌlȯg

, -ˌläg \

variants: or analog

Definition of analogue

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : something that is similar or comparable to something else either in general or in some specific detail : something that is analogous to something else historical analogues to the current situation an aspirin analogue

2 : an organ or part similar in function to an organ or part of another animal or plant but different in structure and origin The gill of a fish is the analogue of the lung of a cat.

3 usually analog : a chemical compound that is structurally similar to another but differs slightly in composition (as in the replacement of one atom by an atom of a different element or in the presence of a particular functional group)

4 : a food product made by combining a less expensive food (such as soybeans or whitefish) with additives to give the appearance and taste of a more expensive food (such as beef or crab)

analogue

an·a·logue

Definition of analogue (Entry 2 of 2)

chiefly British spelling of analog

Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about analogue

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Did You Know?

Noun

The word analogue entered English from French in the 19th century and ultimately traces back to the Greek word logos, meaning "ratio." (The word analogy, which has been a part of English since the 15th century, also descends from logos.) The noun analogue is sometimes spelled analog, particularly when it refers to a chemical compound that is structurally similar to another but slightly different in composition. Adding to the confusion, there is also an adjective spelled analog, which came into use in the 20th century. The adjective can refer to something that is analogous (as in an analog organ), but it is most often used to distinguish analog electronics from digital electronics (as in an analog computer or an analog clock).

Examples of analogue in a Sentence

Noun a modern analog to what happened before the synthetic analog of a chemical found in a tropical tree a meat analogue such as tofu

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Many big-budget games need a renewable source of villainy, and hell or a hell-analogue is an easy answer for that. — Joshua Rivera, Wired, "Video Game Hell Isn’t Nearly Agonizing Enough," 22 Dec. 2020 Off-the-rack 996 GT3s were once the underdogs of the track world, but their ugly duckling status later dissipated when their analogue traits became endearing to Porsche hardliners. — Basem Wasef, Car and Driver, "Driving the 5 Best Porsche 911 GT Cars Ever," 15 Dec. 2020 Despite this troubling ferment, antifascism remained a backwater of leftist activism throughout the Obama Administration, as progressives focussed on the rise of the Patriot Movement’s political analogue: the Tea Party. — Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, "In the Streets with Antifa," 25 Oct. 2020 The atmosphere of a stymied craving for action has its analogue in a deliberately anticlimactic sequence in Britten’s opera: the sight of a French frigate arouses a crescendo of patriotic bravado, until the wind dies and the battle goes unjoined. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, "Pushed to the Edge by “Beau Travail”," 20 Oct. 2020 City Paper and cites former editors David Carr and Jack Shafer as models), with their intense local focus and emphasis on voice, are another important analogue. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "Can Podcasts Save Local News?," 22 Oct. 2020 This orientation is unusual in the tech world, although its right-wing analogue, libertarianism, is pervasive. — Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, "Taking Back Our Privacy," 19 Oct. 2020 To understand the scale of his vision, start with the closest American analogue, the ubiquitous, paper-based, inexpensive at-home pregnancy test. — Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, "The Way Out," 14 Aug. 2020 But today, there’s an uncomfortable analogue to the derogatory language used to describe immigrants. — Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, "When Invasive Species Become the Meal," 2 Oct. 2020

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