lidar

noun

li·​dar ˈlī-ˌdär How to pronounce lidar (audio)
: a device that is similar in operation to radar but emits pulsed laser light instead of microwaves

Examples of lidar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That allows manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers developing vehicles on NVIDIA’s architecture to evaluate a lidar sensor already validated for the platform instead of spending additional engineering time proving compatibility. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026 When the performance finished, those technicians rushed to spray their now sizzling lidar with coolant following that four-minute exertion. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 July 2026 Their team also installed rain gauges and went into the field each week with advanced laser-imaging technology, known as lidar, to measure and track the cliffs before and after a collapse. — Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 As The Verge reports, a bill that’s coming up for a vote this year would require fully autonomous vehicles to use both cameras and at least two other sensing technologies — in most cases, lidar and radar. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for lidar

Word History

Etymology

light + radar

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lidar was in 1963

Rhymes for lidar

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Browse Nearby Words

lid
lidar
lid cell
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lidar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lidar. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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