English Meaning & Definitions
A device or instrument designed to detect, record, or indicate the presence of one or more physical quantities, such as radiation, heat, or motion.
- “The smoke detector sounded an alarm as soon as it sensed the presence of fire.”
- “Scientists used a particle detector to observe the collision of subatomic particles.”
A person who discovers or finds something that was previously hidden or unknown.
- “He acted as a detector of fraud within the accounting department.”
- “The software serves as a reliable detector of malware on your computer system.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “detector”.
Derived from the Latin 'detegere', meaning 'to uncover' or 'to reveal' (from 'de-', meaning 'away' or 'off', and 'tegere', meaning 'to cover'). It entered Middle English via the Old French 'detecter' and evolved into the modern noun form in the 17th century to describe a person or device that discovers something hidden.
Think of a 'detective' who uses a 'detector' to uncover clues.
Frequently Asked Questions About “detector”
1. What is the meaning of “detector” in English?
In English, detector (noun) is defined as: “A device or instrument designed to detect, record, or indicate the presence of one or more physical quantities, such as radiation, heat, or motion.”.
2. How do you use “detector” in a sentence?
“The smoke detector sounded an alarm as soon as it sensed the presence of fire.”
3. What are English synonyms of “detector”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “detector”?
Derived from the Latin 'detegere', meaning 'to uncover' or 'to reveal' (from 'de-', meaning 'away' or 'off', and 'tegere', meaning 'to cover'). It entered Middle English via the Old French 'detecter' and evolved into the modern noun form in the 17th century to describe a person or device that discovers something hidden.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.