autocorrelator

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noun

A device that modifies a signal with a delayed copy of itself in order to detect any periodic signal hidden in the noise

OriginEnglish correlator ← Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-) ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounautocorrelator (plural autocorrelators)

plural autocorrelators

  1. businessA device that modifies a signal with a delayed copy of itself in order to detect any periodic signal hidden in the noise
  2. businessA device that uses interferometry to detect autocorrelation of optical beams

Origin

  1. Proto-Hellenic*autós
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ew
  3. Ancient Greekαὖ (aû)
  4. Ancient Greekτόν (tón)
  5. Ancient Greekαὐτός (autós)
  6. Ancient Greekαὐτο- (auto-)
  7. Englishauto-
  8. Englishcorrelator
  9. Englishautocorrelator

From auto- + correlator.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

autocorrelator. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autocorrelator

MLA

“autocorrelator.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autocorrelator. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “autocorrelator,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autocorrelator.

Source: autocorrelator on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.