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hydrophone

hydrophone

4 7.9
A tool that records sounds under water, like whale songs
  • noun
  • /ˈhaɪdrəˌfoʊn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hidrófono
  • The hydrophones are mimicking the sounds of a dying fish.
  • underwater hydrophone
  • hydrophone, an underwater microphone
  • hydrophone array

Examples

  • Swimming just below the surface, the calf came to within a few inches of the two hydrophones suspended from our boat's bow.

    Academic text (1992)
  • MN: I used the hydrophone for the flash charges and releases, as these sounds were really quiet.

    Blog text (18)
  • Before you start looking for it, the hydrophone has caught something.

  • Also, the charge was sort of inside the flash unit, and the hydrophone picked this up far better.

    Blog text (18)
  • I'm picking up something on the hydrophone.

  • When this baby is ready, it will be a super-high-tech hydrophone.

  • Is the hydrophone on?

  • Wired to the box are an underwater speaker, two hydrophones, and a keypad.

    Blog text (11)
  • We have one drone we affectionately call Ear Bot where we drop the drone in the water with a hydrophone and record the vocalizations.

  • Danielle lowered a hydrophone into the water to record underwater sounds during their research.

Synonyms

sonar
vshydrophone
  • Specialized
79 4.0

A device that uses sound to find objects under water

listens passively to underwater sounds rather than sending pulses
sonobuoy
vshydrophone
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A floating device that listens to underwater sounds and sends them to ships or planes

is used to record or detect underwater sounds without sending them
asdic
vshydrophone
  • Archaic
9.9

A machine that sends sound pulses underwater and listens for echoes to find submarines

focuses on general underwater sound detection and recording, not just submarine locating

How Sensitive

hydrophone
  • Specialized
4 7.9
sonobuoy
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Surface Forms

hydrophone singular
hydrophones plural

Morphology

hydrophone = hydro + phone

The structure is clear as a scientific combining-form compound meaning 'water-sound device', but the term is specialized and not fully predictable for an average learner.

Etymology

Hydrophone comes from the parts hydro- meaning 'water' and -phone meaning 'sound', the same -phone you see in telephone and microphone. So a hydrophone is a device for listening to or recording sounds under water.