metal detector

noun

plural metal detectors

: a device that detects the presence of hidden metal: such as

a

: a security device that scans individuals for dangerous objects (such as weapons)

I boarded the plane armed with several frying thermometers, which set off the metal detector …

—Jeffrey Steingarten

Once inside the theater, the crowd had to pass through an airport-style metal detector as a security precaution.

—Richard Zoglin

b

: a handheld apparatus that uses electrical induction (see induction sense 4c) to detect the presence of metallic objects (such as coins or jewelry) buried a short distance underground

A local man using a metal detector stumbled upon the site last March. He found two copper brooches, or pins, measuring four inches across.

—Time for Kids

Examples of metal detector in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The School District equipped every high school with walk-through metal detectors at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. —Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2025

The school has metal detectors and requires students to have clear backpacks. —Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025

The shooter, a student, was able to get the gun into the school despite the metal detectors and bag-check protocols. —John Bacon, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025

Martinez said the school, which had another shooting in 2024, has been working on safety protocols and emphasized that this entry was not made through the front doors and the metal detectors. —Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for metal detector

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