indicator
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈɪn.dɪˌkeɪ.tə(ɹ)/
Forms: form: indicators
Etymology: From Late Latin indicātor (“one who points out”), from Latin indicō (“point out”). By surface analysis, indicate + -or; see indicate.
Senses: examples: text: The visual indicators are a decided improvement, and have reduced the telephoning by the staff in the signalbox.
ref: 1954 November, “Train Arrival Indicators at Euston”, in Railway Magazine, page 738:
text: These old indicators [at Earl's Court station] show the destination of the next train by the appearance of an illuminated arrow next to the station name. The arrow may indicate that a train is going to Wimbledon, but it gives no clue as to when. Now, however, the indicators are supplemented by dot matrix panels that not only say where but also when. Why aren't the old ones removed? Because they, like the whole station, are Grade II listed.
ref: 2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 79:
glosses: A pointer or index that indicates something.
glosses: A meter or gauge.
glosses: The needle or dial on such a meter.
topics: chemistry
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: Any of many substances, such as litmus, used to indicate the concentration of a substance, or the degree of a reaction.
topics: biology
ecology
natural-sciences
glosses: A plant or animal whose presence is indicative of some specific environment.
topics: economics
sciences
glosses: A measure, such as unemployment rate, which can be used to predict economic trends.
topics: automotive
transport
vehicles
synonyms: word: blinker
word: directional
word: directional signal
word: direction indicator
word: trafficator
word: turn indicator
word: turn signal
glosses: A turn signal; each of the flashing lights on each side of a vehicle which indicate a turn is being made to left or right, or a lane change etc.
glosses: A bird, the honeyguide.
examples: text: 'Wild' is an anagram indicator showing that the letters of 'danger' have to be rearranged.
ref: 2011 December 9, Collins, Crossword Secrets (Collins Little Book), HarperCollins UK, →ISBN, page 6:
text: We surrounded the strike, Snowy (5)
Snowy is the definition in this clue. Ignore the punctuation and capital letter of Snowy! Surrounded is the container indicator.
ref: 2012 October 15, Denise Sutherland, Solving Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 46:
text: We have already mentioned 'in' having multiple uses; 'round' or 'around' might be a container indicator or a reversal indicator; 'without' might be a container indicator or a deletion indicator, and so on.
ref: 2020 August 20, Telegraph Media Group Ltd, The Telegraph: How To Solve a Cryptic Crossword: Mastering cryptic crosswords made easy, Hachette UK, →ISBN, page 23:
qualifier: crosswording
glosses: A codeword that marks the use of a specific cryptic device.
Derived terms: acid-base indicator
airspeed indicator
anagrind
attitude indicator
bank-and-turn indicator
bioindicator
bite indicator
Burrell indicator
chemical indicator
coincident indicator
concurrent indicator
contraindicator
dial indicator
economic indicator
global indicator
indicator card
indicator diagram
indicator function
indicator lamp
indicator light
indicator variable
key performance indicator
leading indicator
ordinal indicator
paleoindicator
pH indicator
phytoindicator
rate of climb indicator
rate-of-climb indicator
redox indicator
route indicator
subindicator
tactile ground surface indicator
tactile walking surface indicator
tone indicator
turn-and-bank indicator
wetness indicator
Related terms: index
indicate
indication
indicative