converter

noun con·vert·er \ kən-ˈvər-tər \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of converter

: one that converts: such as

a : the furnace used in the Bessemer process

b or convertor play \kən-ˈvər-tər\ : a device employing mechanical rotation for changing electrical energy from one form to another (as from direct current to alternating current or vice versa); also : a radio device for converting one frequency to another

c : a device for adapting a television or radio receiver to receive channels or frequencies for which it was not originally designed

a cable converter

FM converter

d : a device that accepts data in one form and converts it to another

analog-digital converter

e : catalytic converter

See converter defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of converter from the Web

This converter hooks up to your laptop and allows you to convert tapes to MP3 files for easy digital access.

— Indianapolis Star, "Audio Cassette to MP3 Music Converter," 2 Apr. 2018
That converter, in turn, requires systems that have already been modified to output a high-end RGB signal, which the marathon purchases and stores in warehouses most of the year.

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "How to keep a charity gaming marathon going for 160 hours straight," 14 Jan. 2018
The box combines a digital-to-analog converter and an amplifier, two pieces of tech that improve the sound of the headphones by adding depth, clarity, and drama.

— wired staff, WIRED, "All the Gear We Loved in March," 31 Mar. 2018
The value of the converter and damage to the car amounted to about $500.

— joanne berger dumound/special to cleveland.com., cleveland.com, "Air fresheners in car raise red flag: Middleburg Heights police blotter," 30 Mar. 2018
Continental AG makes converters for batteries, Schaeffler produces electric-car axles, and Volkswagen, Daimler, and BMW have all announced ambitious plans for battery-powered cars.

— Bloomberg.com, "The Town on the Front Lines of Germany’s Battle to Preserve its Industrial Future," 28 Mar. 2018
The result is that a pulse generator with a 14-bit digital-to-analog converter and a temporal resolution of 1 nanosecond can change the timing between the centers of pulses by just a picosecond or so.

— chris lee, Ars Technica, "New form of qubit control may yield longer computation times," 25 Jan. 2018
Catalytic converters hastened the removal of lead from gasoline, because lead made the converters malfunction.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "Scott Pruitt’s Dirty Politics," 3 Apr. 2017
In combination with a nine-speed torque-converter automatic and 4Matic+ all-wheel drive, the combo is good for a 4.4-second sprint to 60 mph and a 174-mph top speed, according to AMG.

— joe lorio, Car and Driver, "2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door: The More-Door AMG," 6 Mar. 2018

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