range finder
2
5.7
- noun
- /reɪndʒ ˈfaɪndər/
- Specialized
:
telémetro
- TRC's latest family of machines uses sonar range finders.
- sonar range finder
Examples
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During the Second World War, Tukey worked on the accuracy of range finders and gunfire from bombers.
Academic text (2007) -
Well, maybe the range finder needs to be recalibrated.
-
The sensors were changed to include a laser range finder, with sonar acting as a backup.
Academic text (2000) -
One of those ex-Seals in the annex had a laser range finder and was actually radioing in coordinates of enemy targets.
Blog text (4) -
Finally, dusty conditions can interfere with lasers, degrading guided munitions and range finders.
Academic text (2005) -
Students outfit their robots with all kinds of sensors, from electronic compasses and wheel encoders to sonar and infrared range finders.
Academic text (2009) -
The hunter used a range finder to measure the distance to the deer before taking a shot.
-
During the competition, the archers relied on their range finder to accurately gauge the distance to the target.
-
The military drone is equipped with a range finder that helps determine the distance to various ground features.
Synonyms
3
6.6
A device that measures how far away something is
How Accurate
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: 'range' (sense of distance/extent) combined with 'finder' (a device or person that finds or aims) yields a device that finds or measures distance. This follows a regular noun–noun compounding pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
The noun range finder comes from a simple, literal picture: a finder that finds the range, the 'distance' to a target. People who hunt, shoot, or take photos needed tools to know 'how far away something is', so a range finder became the name for any device that measures that distance.