: 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
The scan follows an injection of a radioactive form of glucose that provides a signal picked up by the scanner.
—
Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Next, Klie was taken back to the MRI scanner, where a special membrane was placed on her head to hold cold water for cooling and to aid sound wave transmission.
—Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2025
Specialized devices such as a PET scanner can then detect the radioactivity from the outside.
—Andrea Richard, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Creating the technology for revolutionaries operating in an amorphous present, such as the scanner device, was another fascinating challenge.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scanner
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Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Next, Klie was taken back to the MRI scanner, where a special membrane was placed on her head to hold cold water for cooling and to aid sound wave transmission.
—Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2025
Specialized devices such as a PET scanner can then detect the radioactivity from the outside.
—Andrea Richard, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Creating the technology for revolutionaries operating in an amorphous present, such as the scanner device, was another fascinating challenge.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 27 Sep. 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 9 Oct. 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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