imager

noun

im·​ag·​er ˈi-mi-jər 

plural imagers

: one that produces an image: such as

a

: any of various machines (such as a CT scanner or X-ray machine) used to produce diagnostic images of a living body

… we believe that our state-of-the-art NMR imager is more sensitive than our state-of-the-art CT scanner in the evaluation of these diseases. Thus, to exclude suspected disease, NMR is the preferred modality.

—William G. Bradley, Jr.

b

: an instrument that combines the functions of detection and image production to generate graphic output of extremely high quality for scientific or technical study

The payload includes a descent imager to characterize the landing site's geological context, a stereo imager for high-resolution mapping of the surroundings, a gas analyzer, and an environmental survey package.

—Robert Burnham

The imager can measure two- and three-dimensional beam-intensity distributions, and it can transfer data to a computer via a video frame grabber.

—Physics Today

Examples of imager in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The data from the imager will be useful in weather prediction, said Carlo Simoncelli, a program manager at Leonardo. —Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times, 24 July 2023

The blankets do still betray a somewhat blotchy contour on thermal imagers. —Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2023

During those flybys in July 2020 and February 2021, Parker kept its imager on and aimed it at the dark side of Venus. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 10 Feb. 2022

Now, an astrophysicist and exoplanet imager at Northwestern University has used 17 years of footage to create a time-lapse video of this almost complete orbit of the giant planet around its star. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 10 Aug. 2023

Its imagers, which include the Near-Infrared Camera and Mid-Infrared Instrument, allow JWST to look beyond cosmic dust and sense weak and ancient light from up to 13 billion years ago, just 800,000 years after the universe was born. —Popular Science, 12 July 2023

These see the least area but take the crispest pictures, so satellites in LEO are often imagers either doing science, such as monitoring weather, or spying. —Ann Finkbeiner, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2020

The technique may also be more effective against lower-quality or shorter-range commercial thermal imagers. Mylar—also known by trade names Melinex and Hostaphan and the scientific term BoPET—is usually most valued for its ability to prevent heat loss. —Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2023

The ash plume from the May 3, 2008 eruption of Chaitén in Chile seen from Terra's MODIS imager. —Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English ymageoure, ymager "one who makes images, sculptor," in part from imagen "to image entry 2" + -eoure, -er -er entry 2, in part borrowed from Middle French imagier, ymageur, derivatives of ymagier "to picture, imagine"

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above