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

Josh Wolfe backs startups that make tech straight out of our favorite science fiction movies, from Star Wars surgical robots to metal detectors that evoke Total Recall. —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2024

Surveillance video released by Akron Public Schools shows the school resource officer and another officer watching as students walk through the school’s metal detectors. —Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 22 Oct. 2024

Recent innovations have even led to AI systems specifically designed to detect contaminants in food and packaging that have traditionally been difficult for metal detectors to identify. —Shangyan Li, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024

All attendees will be required to pass through a metal detector to enter the festival. —Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 31 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above