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

When the metal detector was still beeping after three days, the tension started to build. —Caleb Harris, Austin American-Statesman, 13 Dec. 2024

While scouring the land, something caused his metal detector to sound. —Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 6 Dec. 2024

Anyone wanting to leave it for other areas of Jerusalem is required to go through airport-style security that includes a walk-through metal detector, an X-ray machine for belongings, an ID check, as well as occasional pat-down and strip searches. —Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 1 Dec. 2024

At the country’s tabulation center, every door will be fitted with metal detectors, floodlights will be installed, and on election day the center will be protected by a ring of snipers deployed on roofs around the building, election officials told NBC. —David Gilbert, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above