transponder
noun
Did you know?
This word was coined during World War II by simply joining pieces of the words transmitter and responder. Transponders are basic to modern aviation and communications satellites, and they're finding new uses in fields such as medicine as well. But they're now also part of everyday life. The "E-ZPass" that lets you drive right through turnpike tollbooths is a transponder, and the car you're driving may not even start unless it recognizes the signal from your personal key's transponder. In a big crowded foot race, you may carry a tiny transponder on your shoe that records when you cross both the starting line and the finish line.
Examples of transponder in a Sentence
Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
The spacecraft operated until June 1967 after both of its onboard transponders failed.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 June 2025
Improvements included three new entry kiosks, a new office structure, a transponder lane and road widening.
Trail Ridge Road remains closed because of snow and will miss its usual Memorial Day opening because wind, drifting snow and ice over the past week hindered snow-clearing operations.
—John Meyer, Denver Post, 24 May 2025
As a result, the controller relied on pings from the helicopter’s transponder to show its changing location, which can take between five and 12 seconds to refresh, according to F.A.A. documents.
—Kate Kelly, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for transponder
Cite this Entry
“Transponder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transponder. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share