optical character recognition


noun Computers.

the process or technology of reading data in printed form by a device (optical character reader) that scans and identifies characters. Abbreviation: OCR

Origin of optical character recognition

First recorded in 1960–65

British Dictionary definitions for optical character reader

optical character reader

noun

a computer peripheral device enabling letters, numbers, or other characters usually printed on paper to be optically scanned and input to a storage device, such as magnetic tape. The device uses the process of optical character recognition Abbreviation (for both reader and recognition): OCR

Scientific definitions for optical character reader

optical character recognition

The electronic identification and digital encoding of printed or handwritten characters by means of an optical scanner and specialized software.