scanner

[ skan-er ]

noun

1. a person or thing that scans.
2. Also called op·ti·cal read·er [op, -ti-k, uh, l , ree, -der],. Computers. a device that scans printed, handwritten, barcode, or other visual data and encodes it into digital format. optical scanning.
3. Photography. any device for exposing an image on film, a sensitized plate, etc., by tracing light along a series of many closely spaced parallel lines.
4. (in aerial photography) a device for estimating the ratio of aircraft speed to aircraft altitude.
5. a photoelectric device for scanning a picture to determine automatically the density of the hue or value in each area for transmission by wire or radio or for preparation of color process printing plates.
6. a computer-aided electronic system using photoelectric cells to separate copy, as color illustrations, into its primary colors, correct color copy, and produce a set of color separations ready for proofing or printing.
7. Radio. a radio receiver, used especially by police, firefighters, and the press, that continuously tunes to preselected frequencies, broadcasting any signal that it detects.
8. Medicine/Medical, Biology. a device for examining a body, organ, tissue, or other biologically active material. CAT scanner, MR scanner, PET scanner, sonogram.

scanner

/ ˈskænə /

noun

1. a person or thing that scans
2. a device, usually electronic, used to measure or sample the distribution of some quantity or condition in a particular system, region, or area
3. an aerial or similar device designed to transmit or receive signals, esp radar signals, inside a given solid angle of space, thus allowing a particular region to be scanned
4. any of various devices used in medical diagnosis to obtain an image of an internal organ or part See CAT scanner nuclear magnetic resonance scanner ultrasound scanner
5. informal.
   a television outside broadcast vehicle
6. short for optical scanner
7. printing an electronic device which scans printed material and converts it to digital form

Word History and Origins

Origin of scanner¹

First recorded in 1550–60; scan + -er ¹

Example Sentences

They quantified plastic bag sales by analyzing barcode scanner data on consumer purchases.

From Science Daily

The first, in 1992, saw a country and western band perform on the car deck, as thousands of pounds were raised to help purchase a breast cancer scanner for the Western Isles.

From BBC

Counting ballots involves feeding each one into electronic scanners that tabulate their results.

From BBC

Two additional operating theatres, and a MRI scanner to increase surgical and diagnostic capacity, were installed at Forth Valley Royal Hospital as part of the NTC project and are already up and running.

From BBC

They had not heard the all-points bulletin with a rough description of the kidnapper — dispatchers had not broadcast it for fear of alerting reporters who might be listening to scanners.

From Los Angeles Times