crystal detector
noun Radio.
a device for rectifying a modulated radio-frequency signal, consisting of a crystal of germanium, silicon, galena, or the like with a cat whisker contact, permitting a high-frequency current to pass freely in one direction only: one of the two principal components of a crystal set.
Origin of crystal detector
First recorded in 1905–10
Words nearby crystal detector
crystal ball,
crystal class,
crystal clear, be,
crystal counter,
crystal defect,
crystal detector,
crystal form,
crystal gazing,
crystal habit,
crystal healing,
crystal lake
British Dictionary definitions for crystal detector
crystal detector
noun
electronics
a demodulator, used esp in microwave circuits and in early radio receivers, consisting of a thin metal wire in point contact with a semiconductor crystal