: 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
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
Phrases Containing scanner
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.
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Kids 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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