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Sensors are used today almost everywhere. Radar guns bounce microwaves off moving cars. A burglar alarm may use a photosensor to detect when a beam of light has been broken, or may use ultrasonic sound waves that bounce off moving objects. Still other sensors may detect pressure (barometers) or chemicals (Breathalyzers and smoke detectors). Stud finders, used by carpenters to locate wooden studs under a wall, may employ magnets or radar. Wired gloves, which relay information about the position of the fingers, are used in virtual-reality environments. A cheap car alarm may be nothing but a shock sensor, in which a strong vibration will cause two metal surfaces to come together.

Examples of sensor in a Sentence

Image sensors are used in digital cameras. Infrared sensors can track an object's movement.

Recent Examples on the Web The level sensor linkage on the rear axle might not have been installed properly, which could affect the headlight leveling function. — Detroit Free Press, 20 May 2022 The level sensor linkage on the rear axle might not have been installed properly, which could affect the headlight leveling function. — USA TODAY, 19 May 2022 The 50-megapixel sensor captures light well, and there’s a nice bias towards high contrast and vivid colours in the processing. — Ewan Spence, Forbes, 19 May 2022 Some strange movement could be attributed to movement by the sensor, West said. — Julian E. Barnes, BostonGlobe.com, 17 May 2022 In photography, light is perhaps the only absolute requirement: photons hit the film or the sensor for as long as it is exposed, and that is what makes the picture. — Ben Taub, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022 Ice also indicated that the zoom sensor might outperform the one on the Galaxy S22 Ultra. — Chris Smith, BGR, 16 May 2022 Webb's instruments include two spectrographs, two imaging cameras, and the fine guidance sensor that helps with pointing the telescope. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, 29 Apr. 2022 This could indicate either a system malfunction or an animal heavy enough to trigger the sensor, police reasoned. — Thomas Jewell, cleveland, 14 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sensor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.