as in sensor
a device that detects some physical quantity and responds usually with a transmitted signal
a motion detector to thwart burglaries
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Recent Examples of detector
More Than Just Cats Our cat detector network has many neurons and many inputs, but only one output.
—
Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025
The air is also in motion, so from moment to moment, the starlight will pass through different parcels on its way to your eye or your detector, shifting position each time, usually randomly because of the air’s turbulent motion.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 15 May 2025
There are many challenges in creating a wearable heart attack detector.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 11 May 2025
In practice, this is measured by loop detectors embedded in the roadway.
—Laurie Winkless, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detector
Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025
The air is also in motion, so from moment to moment, the starlight will pass through different parcels on its way to your eye or your detector, shifting position each time, usually randomly because of the air’s turbulent motion.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 15 May 2025
There are many challenges in creating a wearable heart attack detector.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 11 May 2025
In practice, this is measured by loop detectors embedded in the roadway.
—Laurie Winkless, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detector
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detector
sensor
Noun
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Like half-frame film cameras, the X Half shoots vertical frames, but records to an 18-megapixel sensor instead.—
Julian Chokkattu,
Wired News,
24 May 2025
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Boeing did not tell airlines and pilots about a new software system, called MCAS, that could turn the plane’s nose down without input from pilots if a sensor detected that the plane might go into an aerodynamic stall.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detector. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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