receiver

[ ri-see-ver ]

noun

1. a person or thing that receives.
2. a device or apparatus that receives electrical signals, waves, or the like, and renders them perceptible to the senses, as the part of a telephone held to the ear, a radio receiving set, or a television receiving set.
3. Law. a person appointed by a court to manage the affairs of a bankrupt business or person or to care for property in litigation.
4. Commerce. a person appointed to receive money due.
5. a person who knowingly receives stolen goods for an illegal purpose; a dealer in stolen merchandise.
6. a device or apparatus for receiving or holding something; receptacle; container.
7. (in a firearm) the basic metal unit housing the action and to which the barrel and other components are attached.
8. Chemistry. a vessel for collecting and containing a distillate.
9. Football. a player on the offensive team who catches, is eligible to catch, or is noted for the ability to catch a forward pass:

   Jones was the receiver of the first pass thrown. He sent all his receivers downfield.

10. Baseball. the catcher.

receiver

/ rɪˈsiːvə /

noun

1. a person who receives something; recipient
2. a person appointed by a court to manage property pending the outcome of litigation, during the infancy of the owner, or after the owner(s) has been declared bankrupt or of unsound mind
3. a person who receives stolen goods knowing that they have been stolen
4. the equipment in a telephone, radio, or television that receives incoming electrical signals or modulated radio waves and converts them into the original audio or video signals
5. the part of a telephone containing the earpiece and mouthpiece that is held by the telephone user
6. the equipment in a radar system, radio telescope, etc, that converts incoming radio signals into a useful form, usually displayed on the screen of a cathode-ray oscilloscope
7. See receptacle
   an obsolete word for receptacle
8. chem a vessel in which the distillate is collected during distillation
9. sport a player whose function is to receive the ball, esp a footballer who catches long passes
10. the metallic frame situated behind the breech of a gun to guide the round into the chamber

receiver

/ rĭ-sē′vər /

1. A device, as in a radio or telephone, that converts incoming radio, microwave, or electrical signals to a form, such as sound or light, that can be perceived by humans.
2. Compare transmitter

Other Words From

• prere·ceiver noun
• under·re·ceiver noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of receiver¹

1300–50; 1875–80 receiver fordef 2; receive + -er ¹; replacing Middle English recevour < Anglo-French receivour, recevour (< Old French recevere )

Example Sentences

Chiefs coaches have devised drills to work on them, so that his receivers won’t get hit between the eyes by a ball they don’t see coming.

From Washington Post

The receiver then sued the company, asserting that Prospect had misled the public and 2,700 current and past hospital employees about the pension fund’s financial health.

From ProPublica

He only had six carries for seven yards and a touchdown in the win over Buffalo — his first game since a late December injury — but he is a talented runner and receiver who could make a big difference in this one.

From Washington Post

Other companies that have been working on long-range wireless charging have relied on special cases with built-in receivers and auxiliary batteries to pull down the waves.

From Popular-Science

Some may include their own built-in receivers, which means you don’t have to have your phone with you, while others use the GPS in your smartphone to help geolocate you.

From Popular-Science

The protection will last as long as Winston can still fling the ball 50 yards downfield to a streaking wide receiver.

From The Daily Beast

After everything is in order and the call has been placed, Hitch picks up the receiver and says “How do you do?”

From The Daily Beast

The receiver is the only part of the gun that can be legally controlled and must be serialized if 100 percent complete.

From The Daily Beast

Brandon Marshall, wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, has a rap sheet including two domestic violence charges.

From The Daily Beast

The sender and receiver pay the driver a few hryvnia—the Ukrainian currency—on either end.

From The Daily Beast

I hung the receiver up again, wondering what business could fetch Jack Bridges round at that time of the evening to see me.

From Project Gutenberg

Meanwhile his property may be seized by a marshal or receiver on proof that he is neglecting it or that it is deteriorating.

From Project Gutenberg

A German receiver can be washed out like a teacup, and the oil collected is of value, but a meerschaum should never be wetted.

From Project Gutenberg

He replaced the receiver, took up a wet oilskin overall from the back of a chair and the cane from the mantleshelf.

From Project Gutenberg

Her radio set was moved back to her room and she restrung 117 the wires and connected up the receiver without help from anybody.

From Project Gutenberg