metal detector

noun

plural metal detectors

: a device that detects the presence of hidden metal: such as

a

: a security device that scans individuals for dangerous objects (such as weapons)

I boarded the plane armed with several frying thermometers, which set off the metal detector …

—Jeffrey Steingarten

Once inside the theater, the crowd had to pass through an airport-style metal detector as a security precaution.

—Richard Zoglin

b

: a handheld apparatus that uses electrical induction (see induction sense 4c) to detect the presence of metallic objects (such as coins or jewelry) buried a short distance underground

A local man using a metal detector stumbled upon the site last March. He found two copper brooches, or pins, measuring four inches across.

—Time for Kids

Examples of metal detector in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As such, there was a chance that someone with a metal detector could have stumbled upon the prize without deciphering the last clue. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Oct. 2024

Attendees walked through metal detectors and got their bags checked to enter, while several security guards roamed the building. —Richard Nieva, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024

The coins were discovered with a metal detector in the grounds of Helmingham Hall near Stowmarket in Suffolk. —Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 26 Sep. 2024

North Allegheny does not have or want metal detectors, devices that some districts have seen as necessary. —Kff Health News, The Mercury News, 14 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above