scanner

noun

scan·​ner ˈska-nər How to pronounce scanner (audio)
: one that scans: such as
a
: a device for sensing recorded data (as in a bar code)
a supermarket scanner
b
: a radio receiver that sequentially scans a range of frequencies for a signal
c
: a device that scans an image (such as a photograph) or document (such as a page of text) especially for use or storage on a computer
d
: a medical device for scanning a living body to collect diagnostic information see ct scanner

Examples of scanner in a Sentence

a price scanner at a supermarket
Recent Examples on the Web Over the last two decades, ever more sophisticated brain scanners have monitored test subjects as their perceptions were manipulated during studies of consciousness. Elizabeth Finkel, Quanta Magazine, 24 Aug. 2023 The large magnetic fields required for MRI scanners, for example, are generated by passing a large current through a superconductor (typically MRI machines use niobium titanium superconductors cooled to below 9.3 Kelvin, -442.9°F, using liquid helium). Will Henshall, Time, 3 Aug. 2023 On the second floor, framed drawings of Sal McCloskey and her mother hung on a wall near Curtis’s library of things, which includes a pickleball set, a food processor, a scanner — and, yes, a blueberry rake. Elisabeth Egan, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2023 Inside, sharp scanners search for anything amiss: tears, markings, stains, counterfeit labels. Emily Wright, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023 Police said a license plate scanner alerted officers Tuesday evening to a vehicle that was reported stolen in the Bronx a day earlier. Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 2 Aug. 2023 According to a tweet by Waukesha Alerts based on scanner information, rescuers were sent to the 1400 block of Sugar Island Road, which runs along the lake, after witnesses reported that a man in his 50s who doesn’t know how to swim fell into the lake. Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 2 Aug. 2023 Do not download a QR code scanner app, which increases the risk of downloading malware onto your device. Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 28 July 2023 In her research, Fisher once put people who have been rejected under a brain scanner and found that those who were farther along from the moment of rejection showed less activity in the brain regions linked with attachment. Naydeline Mejia, Women's Health, 24 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scanner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scanner was in 1556

Dictionary Entries Near scanner

Cite this Entry

“Scanner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scanner. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

scanner

noun
scan·​ner ˈskan-ər How to pronounce scanner (audio)
: one that scans: as
a
: a device that senses recorded information
b
: a radio receiver that scans a range of frequencies for a signal
c
: a device that scans an image or document especially for use or storage on a computer
d
: a device for scanning a living body to collect medical information

Medical Definition

scanner

noun
scan·​ner ˈskan-ər How to pronounce scanner (audio)
: a device (as a CT scanner) for making scans of a living body

More from Merriam-Webster on scanner

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!