sonar

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noun so·nar \ ˈsō-ˌnär \

Definition of sonar

:a method or device for detecting and locating objects especially underwater by means of sound waves sent out to be reflected by the objects; also :a device for detecting the presence of a vessel (such as a submarine) by the sound it emits in water

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Examples of sonar in a Sentence

They detected the submarine by using sonar.

Recent Examples of sonar from the Web

Then, in 2001, an oil and gas exploration crew discovered the wreck while using sonar to scan the seafloor.

— zahra ahmad, Science | AAAS, "The Germans torpedoed a ship during World War II. The wreck is now revealing secrets about submarine mudslides," 21 Aug. 2017
Jonathan Fram, an assistant professor at Oregon State University, plans to use a series of bio-acoustic sonars to see whether zooplankton in the path of totality will rise in the water column as the sun is obscured by the moon.

— deborah netburn, The Seattle Times, "Will the Great American Eclipse make animals act strangely? Science says yes," 13 Aug. 2017
That's what happened in 2015, when 1.3 million reds passed the sonar and personal-use fishermen took home 225,425 of them.

— loren holmes, Alaska Dispatch News, "Chitina’s charms," 15 July 2017
Rescue workers used sonar, and found Williams’ body in an area of the lake where the water is between 8 and 10 feet deep just before 4 p.m. Never miss a local story.

— charlotteobserver, "19-year-old Rowan County drowning victim identified," 13 July 2017
The deputies were able to identify his location using a sonar device.

— allie gross, Detroit Free Press, "Dearborn community mourns teen who drowned in Cass Lake," 9 July 2017
Huynh, a sonar technician 3rd class and a former resident of the Oakville section of Watertown, was one of seven sailors killed in the collision off the coast of Japan.

— sandra gomez-aceves, courant.com, "Veterans Council Schedules Memorial Service For Watertown Sailor," 3 July 2017
Also available is a blind-spot warning system, as well as front and rear sonar.

— g. chambers williams iii, star-telegram, "Redesigned 2017 Nissan Titan half-ton offers carlike accommodations, gas V-8," 30 June 2017
The new geophysical data, acquired using state-of-the-art shipboard sonar and published online earlier this year in Eos, span 2,500 kilometers of seabed.

— terri cook, Scientific American, "Uncharted Territory," 26 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of sonar

sound navigation ranging

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First Known Use: 1944

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SONAR Defined for English Language Learners

sonar

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noun

Definition of sonar for English Language Learners

: a device used for finding things that are underwater by using sound waves

SONAR Defined for Kids

sonar

play

noun so·nar \ ˈsō-ˌnär \

Definition of sonar for Students

:a device for detecting objects underwater using reflected sound waves

Learn More about sonar

See words that rhyme with sonar Spanish Central: Translation of sonar Nglish: Translation of sonar for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sonar

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sonar

Definition of sonar

Examples of sonar in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sonar from the Web

Origin and Etymology of sonar

SONAR Defined for English Language Learners

sonar

Definition of sonar for English Language Learners

SONAR Defined for Kids

sonar

Definition of sonar for Students

Learn More about sonar

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