the act of discovering or the fact of being discovered the act or process of extracting information, esp at audio or video frequencies, from an electromagnetic wave
See also demodulation
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
de•tect /dɪˈtɛkt/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object]
de•tec•tion /dɪˈtɛkʃən/USA pronunciation n. [uncountable]
de•tec•tor, n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to discover or notice the existence of; find or find out:to detect the odor of gas.
- to discover (a person) in an act:to detect someone cheating.
- to discover the true nature of:I detected a note of pity in her voice.
de•tec•tion /dɪˈtɛkʃən/USA pronunciation n. [uncountable]
de•tec•tor, n. [countable]
de•tec•tion
(di tek′shən),USA pronunciation n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- the act of detecting.
- the fact of being detected.
- discovery, as of error or crime:chance detection of smuggling.
- Telecommunications
- rectification of alternating signal currents in a radio receiver.
- Also called demodulation. the conversion of an alternating, modulated carrier wave or current into a direct, pulsating current equivalent to the transmitted information-bearing signal.
- Late Latin dētēctiōn- (stem of dētēctiō), equivalent. to Latin dētēct(us) (see detect) + -iōn- -ion
- late Middle English 1425–75
de•tect
(di tekt′),USA pronunciation v.t.
de•tect′a•ble, de•tect′i•ble, adj.
de•tect′a•bil′i•ty, de•tect′i•bil′i•ty, n.
- to discover or catch (a person) in the performance of some act:to detect someone cheating.
- to discover the existence of:to detect the odor of gas.
- to find out the true character or activity of:to detect a spy.
- Telecommunications
- to rectify alternating signal currents in a radio receiver.
- to demodulate.
- Latin dētēctus (past participle of dētegere), equivalent. to dē- de- + teg(ere) to cover + -tus past participle suffix
- late Middle English 1400–50
de•tect′a•bil′i•ty, de•tect′i•bil′i•ty, n.
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged See learn.
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