Sensor

How to spell sensor

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce sensor

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does sensor mean?

1. nounA device that detects a physical input such as light, heat, motion or pressure and converts it into a measurable signal.

Sensor in a sentence

• The motion sensor switched on the porch light as the car pulled in.

• A faulty oxygen sensor triggered the warning light on the dashboard.

Where does sensor come from?

Language of origin: Latin

Sensor is a modern coinage built on the Latin verb sentire, which meant 'to feel' or 'to perceive', and its past participle stem sens-, the same root that gives us 'sense', 'sensation' and 'sensitive'. The agent ending -or, also from Latin, marks a person or thing that does an action, so a sensor is literally a thing that perceives. The word is much younger than its roots: it appeared in English only in the early twentieth century as engineers needed a name for devices that detect light, heat, motion or pressure and convert them into a signal. Its spelling trap lies entirely in the ear, because it sounds identical to 'censor' (to suppress content) and 'censer' (a vessel for burning incense), yet all three come from different Latin words. Keeping the -sor ending tied in your mind to 'sense' is the surest way to spell the detecting device correctly.

How the word is built

• sens- (from Latin sentire: to feel, perceive)
• -or (agent/device suffix)

Words that sound like sensor

They sound the same but mean different things, so the meaning decides which spelling to write.

• censor: To examine material and suppress or remove parts considered objectionable or sensitive.