decoder

[ dee-koh-der ]

noun

1. a person who decodes messages or the like.
2. a device for decoding cryptograms, codes, or the like, as an electric or electronic apparatus that transforms arbitrary input signals into letters, words, etc.
3. Navigation. an electronic circuit designed to respond only to certain signals and to reject others.
4. Computers. a circuit designed to produce a single output when actuated by a certain combination of inputs.
5. Television. a box attached to a television set containing circuitry to unscramble encoded signals, as cable-television programs or closed captions, so that the signals can be displayed on the screen.

decoder

/ dē-kō′dər /

1. An electronic or software device that converts telecommunication signals from their transmitted form into a form interpretable to other devices or to human beings.

Word History and Origins

Origin of decoder¹

First recorded in 1915–20; decode + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Willa Paskin, host, Decoder Ring Who you are voting for this year: Kamala Harris Who do you think will win this election?

From Slate

If you can’t see the vehicle in person, you can input the vehicle’s VIN into the government’s VIN decoder to look up the vehicle’s basic specs, such as its model year and whether it’s a single- or dual-motor.

From Seattle Times

The electrodes gather data by measuring electrical signals from the brain, and the decoder interprets that information and translates it into game action.

From Science Daily

An expert was trained to develop a "decoder" for the simpler bar task that makes it possible for the interface to translate brain waves into commands.

From Science Daily

The decoder serves as a base for the other users and is the key to avoiding the long calibration process.

From Science Daily

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