: 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
Along with his wife, Mr. Davis spends hours a day monitoring local police and emergency services scanners, translating the radio codes into updates that are often posted hours ahead of local news reports.
—
Ulysses Ortega, New York Times, 3 May 2025
This technique is similar to how doctors reconstruct three-dimensional shapes of the brain and other organs from the two-dimensional images obtained by a medical CT scanner.
—Jacqueline Reber, The Conversation, 28 Apr. 2025
Existing scanners aren’t designed to detect threats buried deep in third-party code, open source components, or AI model dependencies.
—Dasha Shunina, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
The basic Keypad bundle includes Yale's numerical Keypad, but the biometric Keypad Touch bundle has the numerical keypad and a fingerprint scanner.
—Nena Farrell, Wired News, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scanner
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Ulysses Ortega, New York Times, 3 May 2025
This technique is similar to how doctors reconstruct three-dimensional shapes of the brain and other organs from the two-dimensional images obtained by a medical CT scanner.
—Jacqueline Reber, The Conversation, 28 Apr. 2025
Existing scanners aren’t designed to detect threats buried deep in third-party code, open source components, or AI model dependencies.
—Dasha Shunina, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
The basic Keypad bundle includes Yale's numerical Keypad, but the biometric Keypad Touch bundle has the numerical keypad and a fingerprint scanner.
—Nena Farrell, Wired News, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scanner
Cite this Entry
“Scanner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scanner. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scanner
noun
scan·ner
ˈskan-ər 
: 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
: a device (as a CT scanner) for making scans of a living body
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