Sonar is equipment on a ship which can calculate the depth of the sea or the position of an underwater object using sound waves.
sonar in British English
(ˈsəʊnɑː)
noun
a communication and position-finding device used in underwater navigation and target detection using echolocation
Word origin
C20: from so(und) na(vigation and) r(anging)
sonar in American English
(ˈsoʊˌnɑr)
noun
an apparatus that transmits high-frequency sound waves through water and registers the vibrations reflected from an object, used in finding submarines, depths, etc.
Word origin
so(und) n(avigation) a(nd) r(anging)
Examples of 'sonar' in a sentence
sonar
Police divers were scanning the river close to where she was spotted using sonar equipment.
The Sun (2014)
Had she been confused by military sonar equipment, or was she lost after taking a wrong turn?
The Sun (2006)
Before the sealed cap was fitted, the only available techniques were to study the plume with either sonar or video images.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Since the introduction of sonar, radar and spotter planes, commercial fishing has caught bluefin tuna faster than nature can replace them.