heterodyne

American  

[het-er-uh-dahyn] / ˈhɛt ər əˌdaɪn /

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to a method of changing the frequency of an incoming radio signal by adding it to a signal generated within the receiver to produce fluctuations or beats of a frequency equal to the difference between the two signals.

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verb (used without object)

heterodyned, heterodyning

1. to produce a heterodyne effect.

verb (used with object)

heterodyned, heterodyning

1. to mix (a frequency) with a different frequency so as to achieve a heterodyne effect.

heterodyne British  

/ ˈhɛtərəʊˌdaɪn /

verb

1. electronics to combine by intermodulation (two alternating signals, esp radio signals) to produce two signals having frequencies corresponding to the sum and the difference of the original frequencies See also superheterodyne receiver

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adjective

1. produced by, operating by, or involved in heterodyning two signals

Etymology

Origin of heterodyne

1905–10; hetero- + -dyne < Greek dýnamis power

Example Sentences

The team created a fully tunable heterodyne receiver, a key component for CV-QKD and CV-QRNG, by writing the optical circuit directly inside borosilicate glass.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

Stangier, T., Sonnabend, G. & Sornig, M. Compact setup of a tunable heterodyne spectrometer for infrared observations of atmospheric trace-gases.

From Nature • Mar. 25, 2018

A.M. and D.G. helped with the heterodyne measurements.

From Nature • Mar. 25, 2018

M.B. and J.F. provided the DFB QCLs for the heterodyne experiment.

From Nature • Mar. 25, 2018

The Separate Heterodyne Receiving Set.—The better way, however, is to use a separate vacuum tube for setting up the heterodyne oscillations.

From The Radio Amateur's Hand Book by Collins, A. Frederick (Archie Frederick)