radar

/ˌreɪˈdɑr/

/ˈreɪdɑ/

Other forms: radars

Radar is a system for locating objects by bouncing radio waves off of them. Air traffic controllers use radar to keep track of exactly where airplanes are.

Radar is a scientific method of figuring out where objects are — it's used today by the Coast Guard, astronomers, and the military, among others. Researchers in the late 1800's and early 1900's realized that radio waves could be reflected off solid objects, and by World War II radar was frequently used to detect ships and planes. The name radar is a shortened form of the phrase "radio detecting and ranging."

Definitions of radar

1. noun

   measuring instrument in which the echo of a pulse of microwave radiation is used to detect and locate distant objects
   synonyms: microwave radar, radio detection and ranging, radiolocation

   types:

   Doppler radar

   radar that uses the Doppler shift to measure velocity

   early warning radar

   a radar that is part of an early warning system

   3d radar, three-dimensional radar

   radar that will report altitude as well as azimuth and distance of a target

   weather radar

   radar that is able to detect clouds and precipitation

   type of:

   measuring device, measuring instrument, measuring system

   instrument that shows the extent or amount or quantity or degree of something