- a person or thing that detects
- any mechanical sensing device
- a device used in the detection of radio signals
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
de•tec•tor
(di tek′tər),USA pronunciation n.
- a person or thing that detects.
- a device for detecting smoke, fire, or some other hazardous condition.
- a device for detecting the presence of metal, contraband, or other items that might be hidden or concealed.
- Telecommunications
- a device for detecting electric oscillations or waves.
- Electronicsa device, as a crystal detector or a vacuum tube, that rectifies the alternating current in a radio receiver.
- Late Latin dētēctor revealer, equivalent. to Latin dēteg(ere) to uncover, reveal (see detect) + -tor -tor
- 1535–45
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
detector /dɪˈtɛktə/ n
de•tect /dɪˈtɛkt/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object]
de•tec•tion /dɪˈtɛkʃən/USA pronunciation n. [uncountable]
de•tec•tor, n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to discover or notice the existence of; find or find out:to detect the odor of gas.
- to discover (a person) in an act:to detect someone cheating.
- to discover the true nature of:I detected a note of pity in her voice.
de•tec•tion /dɪˈtɛkʃən/USA pronunciation n. [uncountable]
de•tec•tor, n. [countable]
de•tect
(di tekt′),USA pronunciation v.t.
de•tect′a•ble, de•tect′i•ble, adj.
de•tect′a•bil′i•ty, de•tect′i•bil′i•ty, n.
- to discover or catch (a person) in the performance of some act:to detect someone cheating.
- to discover the existence of:to detect the odor of gas.
- to find out the true character or activity of:to detect a spy.
- Telecommunications
- to rectify alternating signal currents in a radio receiver.
- to demodulate.
- Latin dētēctus (past participle of dētegere), equivalent. to dē- de- + teg(ere) to cover + -tus past participle suffix
- late Middle English 1400–50
de•tect′a•bil′i•ty, de•tect′i•bil′i•ty, n.
- 2. See learn.
'detector' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
crystal
- crystal detector
- crystal set
- diode
- gamma
- gas chromatography
- lie detector
- metal detector
- microwave detector
- mine detector
- polygraph
- tracer
- walk through
- acquire
- autodyne
- barretter
- cat whisker
- microdetector
- monitor
- photodetector
- photomultiplier
- plan position indicator
- rail detector car
- smoke detector
- square-law
- supersensitive