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Detector vs Detective - What's the difference?

detector | detective | Related terms |

Detective is a related term of detector.



As nouns the difference between detector and detective

is that detector is a device capable of registering a specific substance or physical phenomenon while detective is a police officer who looks for evidence as part of solving a crime; an investigator.

detector

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A device capable of registering a specific substance or physical phenomenon.
  • Smoke detectors are mandatory in public buildings.

    Derived terms

    * lie detector * smoke detector

    detective

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (law enforcement) A police officer who looks for evidence as part of solving a crime; an investigator.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1928, author=Lawrence R. Bourne
  • , title=Well Tackled! , chapter=7 citation , passage=The detective kept them in view. He made his way casually along the inside of the shelter until he reached an open scuttle close to where the two men were standing talking. Eavesdropping was not a thing Larard would have practised from choice, but there were times when, in the public interest, he had to do it, and this was one of them.}}
  • A person employed to find information not otherwise available to the public.
  • Synonyms

    * (law enforcement) DT (abbreviation), Det (abbreviation) * (person employed to find information) private detective, private investigator * (person employed to find information) dick , private dick :(slang)

    Derived terms

    * (sense) detective constable (DC) * (sense) detective sergeant (DS) * (sense) detective inspector (DI) * (sense) detective chief inspector (DCI) * detective story * (sense) detective superintendent () * (sense) detective chief superintendent (DCS) * house detective * private detective * woman detective constable (WDC)