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Glite Dictionary
🦷 Device to widen 🔊 Audio signal tool
expander

expander

7.5
An electronic device that makes quiet sounds quieter and loud sounds louder in audio
  • noun
  • /ɪkˈspændər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : expansor
  • To improve the music mix, she added an expander that adjusted the levels of quiet and loud sounds.
  • plasma expander
  • volume expander

Examples

  • The audio technician used an expander to enhance the sound quality in the recording studio.

  • He installed an expander in the effects chain to help balance the volume of different instruments.

  • A palate expander.

    Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)

  • Palatal expander.

    Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)

  • I rarely come across StuffIt files anymore, and as a matter of fact, I don't even have StuffIt Expander installed on my new laptop.

    Blog text (12)

Antonyms

attenuator
  • Specialized
1 9.0

A device that makes an electrical signal weaker without changing its shape

Surface Forms

expander singular
expanders plural

Morphology

expander = expand (transparent) = expand + er

Formed by the verb 'expand' plus the productive agent/instrument suffix '-er'; the device interpretation is directly derived.

Etymology

Expander comes from the verb expand, made of ex- 'out' and pandere 'to spread'. So an audio expander 'spreads out' the sound range by making quiet parts quieter and loud parts louder.