detector

noun

de·​tec·​tor di-ˈtek-tər 

: one that detects: such as

a

: a device for detecting the presence of electromagnetic waves or of radioactivity

b

: a rectifier of high-frequency current used especially for extracting the intelligence from a radio signal

Synonyms of detector

• sensor

Examples of detector in a Sentence

using metal detectors to improve safety at airports

a motion detector to thwart burglaries

Recent Examples on the Web

Other types of quarks quickly group together to form composite particles (such as neutrons) before the LHC’s detectors can record their states. —Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 25 Nov. 2025

The purity of the light is ideal for creating highly sensitive detectors for specific chemical or biological markers. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Nov. 2025

Test smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and ensure your fire extinguisher is charged and accessible if needed. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2025

The eminently reliable Snap Circuits line also has a spy kit ($53) with nifty gadgets, including a voice changer and a motion-detector alarm. —Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1541, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing detector

• lie detector
• metal detector
• radar detector
• smoke detector

Rhymes for detector

• bisector
• collector
• connector
• corrector
• defector
• deflector
• director
• dissector
• effector
• ejector
• elector
• erector

Kids Definition

detector

noun

de·​tec·​tor di-ˈtek-tər 

1

: one that detects or warns

a smoke detector

2

: a device in a radio receiver for changing the high-frequency current of radio waves into current that can vibrate a loudspeaker to reproduce the original sound

Medical Definition

detector

noun

de·​tec·​tor di-ˈtek-tər 

: one that detects

especially : a device for detecting the presence of electromagnetic waves or of radioactivity