INDICATOR

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does indicator mean? 

• INDICATOR (noun)
  The noun INDICATOR has 4 senses:

1. a number or ratio (a value on a scale of measurement) derived from a series of observed facts; can reveal relative changes as a function of time

2. a signal for attracting attention

3. a device for showing the operating condition of some system

4. (chemistry) a substance that changes color to indicate the presence of some ion or substance; can be used to indicate the completion of a chemical reaction or (in medicine) to test for a particular reaction

  Familiarity information: INDICATOR used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INDICATOR (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A number or ratio (a value on a scale of measurement) derived from a series of observed facts; can reveal relative changes as a function of time

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

index; index number; indicant; indicator

Hypernyms ("indicator" is a kind of...):

fact (a statement or assertion of verified information about something that is the case or has happened)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "indicator"):

BMI; body mass index (a measure of someone's weight in relation to height; to calculate one's BMI, multiply one's weight in pounds and divide that by the square of one's height in inches; overweight is a BMI greater than 25; obese is a BMI greater than 30)

stock index; stock market index (index based on a statistical compilation of the share prices of a number of representative stocks)

short account (the aggregate of short sales on an open market)

price index; price level (an index that traces the relative changes in the price of an individual good (or a market basket of goods) over time)

leading indicator (one of 11 indicators for different sections of the economy; used by the Department of Commerce to predict economic trends in the near future)

business index (a statistical compilation that provides a context for economic or financial conditions)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A signal for attracting attention

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("indicator" is a kind of...):

sign; signal; signaling (any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "indicator"):

point of reference; reference; reference point (an indicator that orients you generally)

Derivation:

indicate (be a signal for or a symptom of)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A device for showing the operating condition of some system

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("indicator" is a kind of...):

device (an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "indicator"):

cursor; pointer ((computer science) indicator consisting of a movable spot of light (an icon) on a visual display; moving it allows the user to point to commands or screen positions)

dial (the circular graduated indicator on various measuring instruments)

fuel gauge; fuel indicator (an indicator of the amount of fuel remaining in a vehicle)

gnomon (indicator provided by the stationary arm whose shadow indicates the time on the sundial)

level; spirit level (indicator that establishes the horizontal when a bubble is centered in a tube of liquid)

indicator lamp; pilot lamp; pilot light (indicator consisting of a light to indicate whether power is on or a motor is in operation)

pointer (an indicator as on a dial)

scale (an indicator having a graduated sequence of marks)

test paper (paper impregnated with an indicator for use in chemical tests)

tidemark (indicator consisting of a line at the highwater or low-water limits of the tides)

annunciator (an indicator that announces which electrical circuit has been active (as on a telephone switchboard))

Sense 4

Meaning:

(chemistry) a substance that changes color to indicate the presence of some ion or substance; can be used to indicate the completion of a chemical reaction or (in medicine) to test for a particular reaction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("indicator" is a kind of...):

color; coloring material; colour; colouring material (any material used for its color)

Domain category:

chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "indicator"):

absorption indicator (an indicator used in reactions that involve precipitation)

acid-base indicator (an indicator that changes color on going from acidic to basic solutions)

alpha-naphthol test; Molisch's test; Molisch reaction; Molisch test (biochemical indicator of the presence of carbohydrates in a solution; if carbohydrates are present a violet ring is formed by reaction with alpha-naphthol in the presence of sulfuric acid)

oxidation-reduction indicator (an indicator that shows a reversible color change between oxidized and reduced forms)

 Context examples 

The test is used as a clinically significant indicator in distinguishing carcinoma from malignant tumors of non-epithelial origin, such as lymphoma, sarcoma, and melanoma.

(Cytokeratin-18 Staining Method, NCI Thesaurus)

An indicator as to whether the female subject has the potential to become pregnant.

(Childbearing Potential, NCI Thesaurus)

A biological, physiological, behavioral, or molecular indicator of the presence or predisposition towards development of a specific disease.

(Diagnostic Factor, NCI Thesaurus)

Either a circular indicator or a control knob on a device.

(Dial Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)

This value is an indicator of the integrated radiation dose of a specific CT scan.

(Dose Length Product, NCI Thesaurus)

An indicator that can be set or unset in order to signal whether the identifier is intended for human display and data entry as opposed to pure machine interoperation.

(Displayable Identifier Indicator, NCI Thesaurus)

An indicator to describe whether the electrical lead device is performing as intended.

(Cardiac Lead Function Indicator, NCI Thesaurus/ACC)

These parameters serve as indicators of the predisposition for cancer development in populations or individuals. 2005

(Cancer Risk Prevention Model, NCI Thesaurus)

Their color is dependent on the pH of the solvent; therefore, these polyphenols are used as pH indicators.

(Anthocyanin, NCI Thesaurus)

The most important prognostic indicator is ALK positivity, which has been associated with a favorable prognosis.

(Anaplastic large cell lymphoma, NCI Thesaurus/WHO)