end effector

noun

variants or end-effector
plural end effectors or end-effectors
: any of various tools that can be mounted at the end of a robotic arm and that are used to interact with or manipulate objects
Performance data on robots, Lau says, usually describe a device's ability to place its end effector at a given point and do so repeatedly at very low speeds.K. M. Reese

Examples of end effector in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The arms are padded, and the end effectors have mittens on them. IEEE Spectrum, 31 Mar. 2022 The Free Gait interface defines a whole-body abstraction layer to accommodate a variety of task-space control commands such as end effector, joint, and base motions. Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'end effector.' 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

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of end effector was in 1968

Dictionary Entries Near end effector

Cite this Entry

“End effector.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/end%20effector. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!