projector

IPA/prəˈdʒektə(r)/
KK[prədʒˈɛktɚ]IPA/prəˈdʒektər/

projector — noun

  • projectorsingular
  • projectorsplural

1. an electronic or optical appliance that takes a picture from a film, computer, o

1.nounB1
Definition

an electronic or optical appliance that takes a picture from a film, computer, or other source and makes it appear large on a flat wall or screen

Example

Min set up the projector in the meeting room before the presentation began.

typical context: meeting room presentation

The old film projector clicked loudly as it showed the black-and-white movie.

collocation: film projector

Common collocations
  • set up a projector
  • turn on a projector
  • connect a projector to
  • digital projector
  • film projector
  • projector bulb
  • projector screen
Synonyms
  • overhead projector

    a specific type that shines light through transparent sheets; often shortened to OHP in classrooms

  • beamer

    informal term used mainly in Europe and South Asia; not common in Taiwan or the US

  • video projector

    emphasises that the device shows moving images from a digital source rather than film

Usage Note

The word can refer to several types of device: film projectors (for reels of movie film), digital projectors (connected to computers), and overhead projectors (for transparent sheets). In everyday conversation, 'projector' alone usually means a digital video projector.

Common Mistakes

The teacher used a project to show the video.
The teacher used a projector to show the video.
'project' (noun) means a planned task; 'projector' is the device.
Please turn on the projector machine.
Please turn on the projector.
'projector' already means the machine; adding 'machine' is redundant.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to devices that display images on a surface, but they differ in technology and common use. An 'overhead projector' (OHP) shines light through transparent sheets and is mostly found in older classrooms. A 'video projector' handles moving digital images from a computer or media player and is the default meaning of 'projector' today. 'Beamer' is a casual synonym for video projector used in Europe and parts of Asia, but it is rarely heard in Taiwan or North America. A 'slide projector' is a specialised older device for showing still photographic slides. In most everyday situations, the simple word 'projector' now means a digital video projector. For example: 'We need a projector for the conference room' implies a digital video projector, while 'the overhead projector still works for transparencies' specifies the older type.

overhead projectorvideo projectorbeamer ↗slide projector

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • set up a projector
  • turn on a projector
  • plug in a projector
  • connect a projector to a laptop
  • focus the projector
  • projector screen

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word 'projector' was formed in English around the 1800s by adding the agent suffix '-or' to the verb 'project', which comes from Latin 'proicere' (pro- 'forward' + icere 'to throw'). A projector is literally 'something that throws forward' — in this case, light carrying an image onto a surface. The device sense became common in the late 19th century with the invention of film and slide projectors.