SENSOR

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sensor mean? 

• SENSOR (noun)
  The noun SENSOR has 1 sense:

1. any device that receives a signal or stimulus (as heat or pressure or light or motion etc.) and responds to it in a distinctive manner

  Familiarity information: SENSOR used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SENSOR (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any device that receives a signal or stimulus (as heat or pressure or light or motion etc.) and responds to it in a distinctive manner

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

detector; sensing element; sensor

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

device (an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose)

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

metal detector (detector that gives a signal when it detects the presence of metal; used to detect the presence of stray bits of metal in food products or to find buried metal)

mine detector (detector consisting of an electromagnetic device; used to locate explosive mines)

electric eye; magic eye; photocell; photoconductive cell; photoelectric cell (a transducer used to detect and measure light and other radiations)

trace detector (a screening device for traces of explosives; used at airline terminals)

Derivation:

sense (perceive by a physical sensation, e.g., coming from the skin or muscles)

 Context examples 

This gene plays a role as an oxygen sensor in signal transduction.

(NOX4 Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

EndoPat looks for heart disease by using sensors that measure blood flow through a patient’s fingers.

(EndoPat, NCI Dictionary)

The second type of cytoplasmic DNA sensor is AIM2.

(Cytosolic DNA-Sensing Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

A device than includes a sensor designed to give information about the presence of a substance or the state of a system.

(Monitor Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes NADPH oxidase 4 protein, is involved as an oxygen sensor in signal transduction, cell differentiation, and tumor cell growth.

(NOX4 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

As a result of those properties, MXenes have potential applications in everything from batteries to electronic sensors.

(Vitamin C is key to protection of new nanomaterial, National Science Foundation)

Endo-Pat 2000 looks for heart disease by using sensors that measure blood flow through a patient’s fingers.

(Endo-Pat 2000, NCI Dictionary)

They used the sensor to assess the effects of a high-fat, high-sugar diet on the livers of mice.

(High-Fat, High-Sugar Diet Causes Lasting Harmful Effects on Liver, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

IceCube's sensors do not directly observe neutrinos.

(Antarctic detector offers first look at how Earth stops high-energy neutrinos in their tracks, National Science Foundation)

Research concerning sensors or devices usually attached to or embedded in the human body or other living animal to record and to transmit physiologic data to a receiving and monitoring station.

(Bioinstrument Application and Development, NCI Thesaurus)