sensor

American

[sen-sawr, -ser] / ˈsɛn sɔr, -sər /

noun

a mechanical device sensitive to light, temperature, radiation level, or the like, that transmits a signal to a measuring or control instrument.
a sense organ.

sensor British

/ ˈsɛnsə /

noun

anything, such as a photoelectric cell, that receives a signal or stimulus and responds to it

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sensor

First recorded in 1925–30; sense + -or ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In-home sensors and location trackers can help families keep tabs on aging loved ones while respecting their privacy.

From The Wall Street Journal

These in-home sensors and location trackers can help families keep tabs on the health and safety of their aging loved ones while also respecting their privacy, writes Julie Jargon.

From The Wall Street Journal

The robot "has a full awareness of its environment" thanks to 22 sensors and various types of cameras, said Arnaud Robert, president of Hexagon Robotics.

From Barron's

IonQ has been on an acquisition spree, snapping up companies specializing in atomic clocks to quantum sensors and, most recently, semiconductors.

From Barron's

Devices ranging from in-home sensors to location trackers can help families keep tabs on their aging loved ones while also respecting their privacy, writes Julie Jargon.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023