analogue

noun

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

Best analogue so far is a prolonged roof collapse of a volcano magma chamber. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "French Island Might Be Sitting On Top of Gigantic Underwater Magma Shift," 20 Mar. 2019 Elsewhere, the audio-grade digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) and amplifier components are carefully designed to ensure the signal stream can deliver high-quality audio reproduction. — Chris Welch, The Verge, "Audio Technica announces its first-ever true wireless earbuds," 29 Aug. 2018 There is really no analogue to this on the left, is there? — Sean Illing, Vox, "Why the Constitution is an inherently progressive document," 18 Dec. 2018 Centering on three young women working at a kind of woke Cosmo analogue of a magazine, The Bold Type follows its characters through the pitfalls of work and dating in your early 20s. — Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "From Succession to Pose, Sharp Objects to Castle Rock, this summer has featured some terrific TV.," 1 Sep. 2018 Although SoundMagic has produced some great headphones in the past, switching from an analogue headphone jack to a digital USB-C port could have a huge impact on how the headphones sound compared to their 3.5mm equivalents. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "SoundMagic adds USB-C to its budget earbuds," 20 Dec. 2018 No country has ever issued them (although there have been analogues in the form of warrants). — Robert J. Shiller, New York Times, "The Next New Thing in Finance — Bonds Linked Directly to the Economy," 11 May 2018 The next step will be to make a high tech analogue that doesn’t involve using a seal’s whiskers, facial nerve endings, and brain. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Military Could Track Objects Underwater With Seal Whiskers," 13 Aug. 2018 Tide can get marketing mileage out of concentrating a full cup of detergent into a cute little pod, but books have no such analogue. — John Warner, chicagotribune.com, "Prize-winning: The biggest, boldest claim a bookseller can make," 30 May 2018

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.