Sensor

Definition: Sensor

Sensor

Noun

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

Date "sensor" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1985. (references)

Specialty Definitions: Sensor

Domain	Definitions
Computing	Sensor An electronic device used to measure a physical quantity such as temperature, pressure or loudness and convert it into an electronic signal of some kind (e.g a voltage). Sensors are normally components of some larger electronic system such as a computer control and/or measurement system. Analog sensors most often produce a voltage proportional to the measured quantity. The signal must be converted to digital form with a ADC before the CPU can process it. Digital sensors most often use serial communication such as EIA-232 to return information directly to the controller or computer through a serial port. (1997-04-15). Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing.
Aerospace	1. The component of an instrument that converts an input signal into a quantity which is measured by another part of the instrument. Also called sensing element.2. The nerve endings or sense organs which receive information from the environment, from the organism, or from both. (references)
Electrical Engineering	The generic name for a device that senses a change in a physical quantity such as light, sound or radio waves and converts that change into a useful input signal for an information-gathering system. Source: European Union. (references)
Math	A device which transmits an output signal in response to a physical input stimulus (as radiance, sound, etc.). Science and engineering sensors are distinguished according to the stimuli to which they respond. (references)
Mechanical Engineering	In a control system, any element which responds to the variation of a controlled variable. Source: European Union. (references)
	Devices that enable a system to detect and transmit changes in external conditions. Source: European Union. (references)
Medicine	A device designed to respond to physical stimuli such as temperature, light, magnetism or movement and transmit resulting impulses for interpretation, recording, movement or operating control. Source: European Union. (references)
Military	An equipment which detects, and may indicate, and/or record objects and activities by means of energy or particles emitted, reflected, or modified by objects. (references)
Mining	The component of an instrument that converts an input signal into a quantity measured by another part of the instrument. Also called sensingelement. (references)
Public Administration	A special signal capturing device that converts any kind of signal into an electrically detectable indication. Source: European Union. (references)
Science	Device that produces an output (usually electrical) in response to stimulus such as incident radiation. Sensors aboard satellites obtain information about features and objects on Earth by detecting radiation reflected or emitted in different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Analyzing the transmitted data provides valuable scientific information about Earth. Weather satellites commonly carry radiometers, which measure radiation from snow, ice, clouds, and bodies of water. Spaceborne radars are used for Earth observations, bouncing radar waves off land and ocean surfaces to study sea-surface conditions, ice thickness, and land surface features. A wind scatterometer is a special type of radar designed to measure ocean surface winds indirectly by bouncing signals off the water and measuring them from various angles. Infrared (IR) detectors measure heat generated by Earth features in the IR band of the spectrum. Photographic reconnaissance sensors in their simplest form are large telescope-camera systems used to view objects on Earth's surface. The bigger the lens, the smaller the object that can be detected. Camera-telescope systems now incorporate all sorts of sophisticated electronics to produce better images, but even these systems need cloudless skies, excellent lighting, and good color contrast between objects and their surroundings to detect objects the size of a basketball. Some of the satellites produce film images that must be returned to Earth, but a more convenient method is to record the image as a series of digital code numbers, then reconstruct the image from the electronic code using a computer at a ground station. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Specialty Definition: Sensor

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

A sensor is a device that detects, or senses, a signal. Most sensors are electrical or electronic, although other types exist. A sensor is a type of transducer.

Since a signal is a form of energy, sensors can be classified according to the type of energy they detect. For example:

light sensors
sound sensors
heat sensors
electrical sensors
mechanical sensors
etc.

The human sensors are the senses.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Sensor."

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Synonyms: Sensor

Synonyms: detector (n), sensing element (n). (additional references)

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Crosswords: Sensor

Specialty definitions using "sensor": 5th Glove ♦ Access area, active system, AEROMAGNETIC, AIRBORNE SENSOR SPECIALIST, artificial intelligence diagnostic system, ATTITUDE SENSOR DATA, AVHRR ♦ biosensor ♦ charge injection device, cleaner, carpet and upholstery, CLEANER, HOME RESTORATION SERVICE, coal interface detector, coal interface sensor, coal thickness sensor, COMPUTERIZED ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL INSTALLER, COVERAGE MAP, CyberWand ♦ Data Latency, derived information, DSAD, dual-chamber rate modulated asynchronous, DYNAMIC VALIDS ♦ encoder ♦ fibreoptic ♦ gray code ♦ image degradation, imaging sensor, incremental encode, incremental sensor, inductive sensor, Insulin Infusion Systems, interferometric sensor, interior horticulturist ♦ Laser Induced Fluorescence, Lightning Imaging Sensor ♦ Mission Sensors, MSS ♦ natural gamma radiation detector ♦ OCCUPANCY SENSOR, onboard processing, Oversampling ♦ Pancreas, Artificial, photoreceptor, plant tender, PLANT-CARE WORKER, potentiometric sensor, proximity sensor ♦ QUALITY-CONTROL TESTER ♦ radar parallax, radiometric resolution, RAMP/AUTO CALIBRATION, RBV, Real Programmers Don't Use Pascal, Revisit Time ♦ Sample Frequency, Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor, sensor calibration, sightless robot, Silicon Sensor, slip switch, SNOw TELemetry, Spatial Resolution, stereo imagery, superconducting quantum interference device ♦ telemetering, touch screen, touch-sensitive display unit, trial body ♦ ULTRASONIC TESTER, UNATTENDED-GROUND-SENSOR SPECIALIST ♦ vibration facility, vibration generator, vibration indicator. (references)

Non-English Usage: "Sensor" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses.

German (sensor), Indonesian (censor), Italian (sensor), Portuguese (sensor), Spanish (sensor), Swedish (sensor), Turkish (sensor).

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Modern Usage: Sensor

Domain	Usage
Screenplays	Baltar, I believe my sound sensor mishears you. (Battlestar Galactica; writing credit: Souleymane Cissé)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Commercial Usage: Sensor

Domain	Title
References	Flexpoint Sensor Systems Inc.: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference) Silicon Sensor International AG: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference) (more reference examples)

Books	FLEXPOINT SENSOR SYSTEMS, INC.: Labor Productivity Benchmarks and International Gap Analysis [DOWNLOAD: ADOBE READER] (reference) Micro- and Nanosensor Technology/Trends in Sensor Markets, Volume 8, Sensors: A Comprehensive Survey (reference) Optoelectronics and Image Sensor Data Book 1990 (reference) Sensor Based Intelligent Robots: International Workshop, Dagstuhl Castle, Germany, October 15-20, 2000: Selected Revised Papers (Lecture Notes in co (reference) Sensor Dynamics Volume 1: Pressure Sensor Dynamics (reference) (more book examples)

Periodicals	Sensor Business Digest (reference) Sensor Review (reference) Sensor Technology (reference) (more periodical examples)

High Tech	VIVITAR SC3 Sensor Cord for 285 / 285HV Flash Units (reference) GPX D606 AM/FM Dual Alarm Sensor Touch Digital Clock Radio w/ Nightlight (reference) IDS DRAGON SENSOR (5) (reference) (more camera examples; more video game examples; more computer examples; more electronic examples; more software examples)

Consumer Goods	Sonin 00700 Water Alarm w/Remote Sensor (reference) T-Fal Sensor 2 Aluminum 6 1/2-Quart Pressure Cooker (reference) EcoGate EG204B Electronically Controlled 4" Blast Gate with Sensor and Cable (reference) Panasonic MC-V7341 QuickDraw Upright Vacuum Cleaner/Electronic Dirt Sensor, Royal Blue (reference) Panasonic MC-V7515 Dual-Sweep Upright Vacuum Cleaner with Telescopic Handle and Dirt Sensor, Metallic Mist (reference) (more baby examples; more wireless phone examples; more garden examples; more kitchen examples; more tool examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Photo Album: Sensor

Thumbnail	Description & Credit	Thumbnail	Description & Credit
	V-fin served as underwater kite to bring sensor close to bottom Housed bottom penetration sonar Deployed off of EXPLORER.Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.		Deploying deep-ocean moored buoy Current meter, water-temperature sensor, and meteorological instruments on buoy.Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.
	Cape Hatteras, Chesapeake Bay, and Delaware Bay as observed from a NOAA satellite with an infra-red sensor.Credit: America's Coastlines.		Particle impactor to study atmospheric particulate matter; Aiken condensation nuclei counter, and Dupont humidity sensor.Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth.
	Checking speed and distance towed sensor in Bongo nets after a tow.Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth.		Various sensor recorders.Credit: Flying With NOAA.
	Dropsonde chute and infra-red temperature sensor.Credit: Flying With NOAA.		NSSL vehicle with wind speed & direction sensors, humidity sensor, and temperature unit with fan.Credit: National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL).
	Figure 33. Meteorological register used with hydrogen weather balloons flown from the PRINCESSE ALICE II on April 5, 1905 from a station north of Corsica. The balloons and register attained a height of 8000 meters before the balloons burst and the instruments were parachuted to the sea for recovery and reading. Readings from two temperature sensors and a pressure sensor were recorded.Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now.		Visible imagery (VIS) and Infrared (IR) photographs from NOAA 2 Very High Resolution Radiometers (VHRR), orbit 2453. NOAA 2 was at an altitude of 905 miles. The visible channel represents reflected light, while the IR image has been derived from a sensor response to the temperature of the earth, ocean, and clouds.Credit: NOAA in Space.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Sensor

Subject	Topic	Quote
Health		Biofeedback involves using a sensor to monitor muscle activity that at the same time can be displayed on a computer screen allowing for an accurate assessment of body functions. (references)
Business		For example, Europe and the U.S. are more advanced in the fields of controller and sensor software. (references)
		U.S. companies are strongest in the areas of electronic security (medium quality intruder alarms), fire detection and sensor product lines. (references)
		In fact, robot imports into Japan remain fairly small in number with the exception of certain segments of the market - such as controllers and sensor software - where foreign firms have penetrated the market successfully. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Spoken Usage: Sensor

Speaker	Phrase(s)
Dennis Miller	A crowning sensor in the chair can tell when the woman is fully dilated.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Usage Frequency: Sensor

"Sensor" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Sensor" is used about 209 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)

Parts of Speech	Percent	Usage per 100 Million Words	Rank in English
Noun (singular)	100%	209	21,011

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Name Usage Frequency: Sensor

The following table summarizes the usage of "sensor" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified.

Name	Usage/Gender	Usage per 100 million Persons	Rank in USA
Sensor	Last name	100	78,365
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Usage in Company Names: Sensor

Country	Name	Country	Name
Germany	Silicon Sensor International AG	USA	Flexpoint Sensor Systems Inc.
	(more examples...)

Source: compiled by the editor from Icon Group International, Inc.

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Expressions: Sensor

Expressions using "sensor": dew sensor ♦ imaging sensor ♦ incremental sensor ♦ inductive sensor ♦ interferometric sensor ♦ potentiometric sensor ♦ proximity sensor ♦ sensor element ♦ speed sensor ♦ tactile sensor. Additional references.
Hyphenated Usage
	Beginning with "sensor": sensor-analyte, sensor-based, sensor-controlled, sensor-driven, sensor-studded.
	Ending with "sensor": four-sensor, image-sensor, rain-sensor.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Sensor

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.

Expression	Frequency per Day	Expression	Frequency per Day
sensor	619	hall effect sensor	88
oxygen sensor	455	speed sensor	87
temperature sensor	430	knock sensor	74
handheld safety sensor	296	co2 sensor	69
carbon dioxide gas hydroponics plant sensor	293	infrared sensor	67
co2 gas sensor	250	carbon dioxide sensor	62
pressure sensor	232	motion sensor light	62
motion sensor	221	flow sensor	59
proximity sensor	179	gauge level sensor	58
brushless carbon carbonmonixide co co2 co2 controller controller dc dioxide motor motor motor sensor sensor sensor sensor speed speed temperature	169	ultrasonic sensor	57
o2 sensor	134	sensor light	57
system sensor	130	iaq sensor	55
mass air flow sensor	110	level sensor	52
map sensor	107	photoelectric sensor	52
co2 sensor ti	105	optical sensor	46
gas sensor ti	103	water sensor	46
humidity sensor	102	radio sensor	46
throttle position sensor	98	bosch oxygen sensor	44
gem sensor	91	position sensor	44
banner sensor	90	capacitive sensor	43
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translations: Sensor

Language		Translations for "sensor"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Albanian		zbulor. (various references)

Arabic		‏جهاز إستقبال (radio receiver), ‏الكشاف (boy scout). (various references)

Bulgarian		чувствителен елемент. (various references)

Chinese		� 感器. (various references)

Czech		senzor. (various references)

Danish		sensor (imaging sensor), transor (detecting device, transducer), målecelle (detector cell, measurement cell, measuring cell), foeler (detecting device, detecting element, sensing element), føler (contour follower, detecting device, feeler, probe, tracer), detektorcelle (detector cell, measurement cell, measuring cell), detektor (detecting circuit, detecting equipment, detector, detector equipment). (various references)

Dutch		sensor (detecting device), voeler (sensing element), opnemer (detecting device), meetcel (detector cell, measurement cell, measuring cell), gevoelig element, detectorcel (detector cell, measurement cell, measuring cell), detector (demodulator, detecting element, detecting equipment, detector, detector equipment, head, probe, sensing component, sensor element), brandmelder (fire-alarm, firecall). (various references)

Finnish		tuntoelin (contour follower, copying sensor, copying stylus, detecting device, feeler, follower, probe, sensing element, tactile organ, tracer, tracer finger), tunnistin, mittauskenno (detector cell, measurement cell, measuring cell), ilmaisin (demodulator, detecting instrument, detector, indicating device, indicator, probe, telltale, tracer), anturi (detecting element, probe, transducer). (various references)

French		senseur, détecteur (sensing component, sensor element), capteur (electric sensor). (various references)

German		sensor (detecting device), Messfühler (head, probe, sensing component, sensing element, sensor element), fühler (aerial, antenna, contour follower, feeler, feelers, head, horn, probe, pyrometer in protection tube, pyrometric rod, sensing device, sheathed pyrometer, tentacle, tentacles, tracer). (various references)

Greek		αισθητήρας (head, probe, sensing component, sensor element), ανιχνευτής (contour follower, demodulator, detector, detector cell, feeler, head, measurement cell, measuring cell, pathfinder, probe, radionuclide scanning, scanner, scout, sensing component, sensor element, tracer). (various references)

Hebrew		חישן (hesitant, sentient). (various references)

Hungarian		érzékelő (perceptive, sensational). (various references)

Italian		sensore (detecting device), sensor, rivelatore (demodulator, detector, developer, receptor, sensing element, telltale), elemento sensibile (sensing element), cella di misura (detector cell, measurement cell, measuring cell), cella detector (detector cell, measurement cell, measuring cell), camera di misurazione (detector cell, measurement cell, measuring cell). (various references)

Japanese Kanji		感知器 , セル付 (10^-2, a center, bottle cap, celery, cellophane tape, center, centering, centi-, centimeter, centre, ceremony, facility providing funeral services, good sense, Scotch tape, select, selection, selector, selenium, sensation, sensational, serenade, stopper, with a self-starter). (various references)

Japanese Katakana		か�"ちき, センサー , センサ . (various references)

Korean		감지기 (sen). (various references)

Pig Latin		ensorsay

Portuguese		sensor (detecting device, sensing element). (various references)

Russian		датчик (detector, pick-off, transducer). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian		senzor, davač. (various references)

Spanish		sensor (detecting device, detector cell, head, measurement cell, measuring cell, probe, sensing component, sensor element). (various references)

Swedish		sensor. (various references)

Turkish		sensor, dedektör, algılayıcı. (various references)

Ukranian		датчик (actuator, cell, comptroller, controller). (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Derivations & Misspellings: Sensor

Derivations
	Words beginning with "sensor": sensoria, sensorial, sensorially, sensorimotor, sensorineural, sensorium, sensoriums, sensors, sensory. (additional references)
	Words ending with "sensor": biosensor. (additional references)
	Words containing "sensor": biosensors, extrasensory, intersensory, multisensory, neurosensory, somatosensory, supersensory. (additional references)
Misspellings
	"Sensor" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: ensor, Estenssoro, Nensorb, sanisko, santor, Sanzo, Saynor, seisor, Sencourt, Sengor, senno, seno, senore, senors, senser, senso, sensori, sensos, sensour, sensu, sensure, Sensuron, sentir, sentor, Sesok, Sesso. (additional references)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Rhyming with "Sensor"

# of Phoneme Matches	Pronunciation	Word(s) rhyming with "sensor" (pronounced se"nser)
5	s e" n s er	biosensor, censer, censor.
4	-e" n s er	condenser, denser, dispenser, Spencer.
3	-n s er	advancer, announcer, answer, anticancer, balancer, bouncer, cancer, cosponsor, dancer, enhancer, freelancer, Lancer, licenser, licensor, mincer, sponsor.
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

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Anagrams: Sensor

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Direct Anagrams: senors, snores.
	Words within the letters "e-n-o-r-s-s"
	-1 letter: noses, roses, senor, snore, sones, sores, sorns.
	-2 letters: eons, erns, eros, ness, noes, nose, ones, ores, oses, roes, rose, sers, sone, sons, sore, sorn.
	-3 letters: ens, eon, ern, ers, ess, nor, nos, oes, one, ons, ore, ors, ose, res, roe, sen, ser, son, sos.
	-4 letters: en, er, es, ne, no, oe, on, or, os.
	Words containing the letters "e-n-o-r-s-s"
	+1 letter: censors, engross, nestors, noosers, noshers, persons, reasons, senhors, seniors, senoras, senores, sensors, sensory, sermons, snorers, sonders, sonsier, sooners, sorners, stoners, tensors, worsens.
	+2 letters: anserous, arsenous, assentor, baroness, coarsens, congress, cornuses, dourness, endorses, erasions, erosions, estrones, goriness, hoarsens, hornless, indorses, ironness, lornness, monsters, narcoses, necroses, necrosis, neuroses, neurosis, nonusers, normless, oestrins, onrushes, personas, poorness, posterns, reseason, resinous, resounds, responds, responsa, response, ropiness, rosiness, scorners, seasoner, senators, senhoras, senhores, sensoria, serranos, shortens, snookers, snoopers, snoozers, snorkels, snorters, songster, sorbents, sordines, soreness, sounders, sourness, spongers, starnose, stentors, sternson, surgeons, swooners, tonsures, treasons, unhorses, versions, wornness.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.