# scanner

Pronunciation: US say "SKAN-ur" /ˈskænɚ/; UK say "SKAN-uh" /ˈskænə/

## Noun

1. A device that copies documents or images and converts them into a digital file.
   - Simple: A machine that turns paper pages or photos into computer files.
   - _The library installed a high-speed scanner to digitize its rare manuscripts._
   - _He placed the photograph on the scanner and saved it as a JPEG._
2. A handheld device that reads barcodes or QR codes to charge customers, check prices, print labels, or track items in a store or warehouse.
   - Simple: A handheld tool that reads barcodes to check prices or ring up items in a store.
   - _The stockroom clerk used a scanner to check each pallet into the warehouse._
   - _At the register, the scanner beeped as it read every item's barcode._
3. A device that uses optics to read printed data such as a barcode.
   - Simple: A tool that uses light to read printed marks like barcodes.
   - _The handheld scanner uses a laser to read each barcode's pattern of stripes._
   - _Modern scanners decode printed labels almost instantly using reflected light._
4. A device that uses radiation such as ultrasound or X-rays to generate images of tissue or surfaces for diagnosis.
   - Simple: A machine that uses sound waves or X-rays to make pictures of the inside of the body.
   - _The radiologist positioned the patient under the scanner to capture clear images._
   - _Hospital scanners can reveal tumors that standard film often misses._
5. A radio receiver that steps through a sequence of frequencies to detect active signals.
   - Simple: A radio that moves through many channels quickly to find ones that are active.
   - _The hobbyist tuned his scanner to pick up nearby emergency broadcasts._
   - _Police scanners let listeners follow dispatch calls as they happen._
6. A person who scans, looking over or reading through something.
   - Simple: A person who looks over or reads through something.
   - _A skilled scanner of documents, the editor caught errors others missed._
   - _The lookout was a vigilant scanner of the horizon for approaching ships._

## Origin

Formed from the verb "scan" combined with the suffix "-er."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/scanner (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).