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

• 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

But watermarks can be tampered with, and any detector built to look for them can check only for those created by a specific AI system. —Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2024

Bars Juhasz is a computer scientist and PhD student, who created the adversarial AI detector Undetectable AI. —Bars Juhasz, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) might get weapons detectors this year, per an MCPS official. —Mimi Montgomery, Axios, 15 Aug. 2024

Researchers could save time by comparing results from similar experiments using detectors based on argon or germanium. —Saima S. Iqbal, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1541, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing detector

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

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