Dictionary

indicator en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /ˈɪn.dɪˌkeɪ.tə(ɹ)/ (UK)

Etymology

From Late Latin indicātor (“one who points out”), from Latin indicō (“point out”). By surface analysis, indicate + -or; see indicate.

Meanings

1. A pointer or index that indicates something.
   • The phrase was, and remains, a double-edged sword: a testament to the hard-working and hard-living citizens of the Crescent City and an indicator of the “ah, whatever” shrug hanging over its corrupt politics, its ramshackle infrastructure and its belief that partying trumps all. 2015 August 12, Todd Leopold, “Return to the ‘City That Care Forgot’”, in CNN, archived from the original on 02 Jan 2022:
   • 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. 2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 79:
   • The visual indicators are a decided improvement, and have reduced the telephoning by the staff in the signalbox. 1954 November, “Train Arrival Indicators at Euston”, in Railway Magazine, page 738:
2. A meter or gauge.
3. The needle or dial on such a meter.
4. Any of many substances, such as litmus, used to indicate the concentration of a substance, or the degree of a reaction.
5. A plant or animal whose presence is indicative of some specific environment.
6. A measure, such as unemployment rate, which can be used to predict economic trends.
7. (Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, South-Africa, UK) 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.
8. A bird, the honeyguide.
9. (qualifier:crosswording) A codeword that marks the use of a specific cryptic device.
   • 'Wild' is an anagram indicator showing that the letters of 'danger' have to be rearranged. 2011 December 9, Collins, Crossword Secrets (Collins Little Book), HarperCollins UK, →ISBN, page 6:
   • 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. 2012 October 15, Denise Sutherland, Solving Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 46:
   • 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. 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:

Forms

Deriveds

redox indicator · economic indicator · leading indicator · rate of climb indicator · global indicator · bioindicator · conclusion indicator · indicator variable · Burrell indicator · bank-and-turn indicator · indicator light · tone indicator · indicator lamp · chemical indicator · route indicator · subindicator · turn-and-bank indicator · premise indicator · indicator function · wetness indicator · indicator diagram · tactile ground surface indicator · pH indicator · bite indicator · paleoindicator · coincident indicator · contraindicator · ordinal indicator · indicator card · tactile walking surface indicator · concurrent indicator · attitude indicator · anagrind · acid-base indicator · airspeed indicator · phytoindicator · dial indicator · key performance indicator · rate-of-climb indicator

Relateds

indicative · indication · indicate · index

Synonyms

directional signal · turn signal · trafficator · direction indicator · turn indicator · directional · blinker

Translations (189)

hu indikátor (chemical) · fr signofile (turn signal) · hu mérőszám (economic measure) · el δείκτης (meter or gauge) · fi indikaattori (chemical) · pt indicador (meter or gauge) · no indikator (chemical) · ru индика́тор (meter or gauge) · hu jelzőanyag (chemical) · et indikaator (pointer) · es índice (needle or dial on a meter) · fi indikaattori (pointer) · fi suuntavilkku (turn signal) · lv indikators (meter or gauge) · nl clignoteur (turn signal) · bg индикатор (chemical) · da retningsviser (turn signal) · es luz de cruce (turn signal) · lv rādītājs (needle or dial on a meter) · gl intermitente (turn signal) · pl wskaźnik (meter or gauge) · es guiñador (turn signal) · cmn 方向指示燈 /方向指示灯 (turn signal) · sv indikator (pointer) · hu jelzőszám (economic measure) · pl wskaźnik (economic measure) · ru стре́лка (needle or dial on a meter) · ar مُؤَشِّر (meter or gauge) · sv indikator (needle or dial on a meter) · da blinklys (turn signal) · fr indicateur (pointer) · ru индика́тор (pointer) · ja ウインカー (turn signal) · no indikator (economic measure) · hu savjelző (chemical) · af flikkerlig (turn signal) · pl wskaźnik (pointer) · no måler (meter or gauge) · el δείκτης πορείας (turn signal) · pl wskaźnik (indicative animal or plant) · lv indikators (economic measure) · cmn 轉向燈 /转向灯 (turn signal) · sv körriktningsvisare (turn signal) · hu mutató (economic measure) · hu indikátorszervezet (indicative animal or plant) · nb retningsviser (turn signal) · pt indicador (pointer) · it freccia (turn signal) · da nøgletal (economic measure) · el δείκτης (pointer) · fi indikaattori (needle or dial on a meter) · te సూచిక (needle or dial on a meter) · fi indikaattori (economic measure) · de Anzeige (pointer) · de Blinker (turn signal) · es guiño (turn signal) · mk трепкач (turn signal) · pt indicador (economic measure) · bg показател (economic measure) · nl richtingaanwijzer (pointer) · lv rādītājs (turn signal) · bg стрелка (needle or dial on a meter) · fi mittalaite (meter or gauge) · no viser (pointer) · lv gaismas signālierīce (turn signal) · cs blinkr (turn signal) · mk пока́зател (pointer) · sh žmigavac (turn signal) · pl wskazówka (needle or dial on a meter) · da viser (needle or dial on a meter) · ga treotháscaire (turn signal) · hu jelzőkészülék (pointer) · pl indykator (chemical) · hu index (turn signal) · ca intermitent (turn signal) · pl kierunkowskaz (turn signal) · tr sinyal (turn signal) · et näitaja (pointer) · hu indikátor (economic measure) · sv mätare (meter or gauge) · cy cyfeiriwr (turn signal) · es guiñe (turn signal) · es señalero (turn signal) · de Zeiger (needle or dial on a meter) · no viser (needle or dial on a meter) · ca indicador de gir (turn signal) · de Fahrtrichtungsanzeiger (turn signal) · nb blinklys (turn signal) · te సూచిక (pointer) · ja 方向指示器 (turn signal) · hu sarokszám (economic measure) · fi mittari (meter or gauge) · lv indikators (chemical) · sh migavac (turn signal) · ru указа́тель (pointer) · es señalizador (pointer) · id lampu sein (turn signal) · fr clignotant (turn signal) · ja 指示薬 (pointer) · el δείκτης (needle or dial on a meter) · sv indikator (chemical) · sh cajger (needle or dial on a meter) · es direccional (turn signal) · hu mutató (needle or dial on a meter) · es luz de giro (turn signal) · cmn 方向燈 /方向灯 (turn signal) · de Indikator (pointer) · lv rādītājs (economic measure) · es índex (needle or dial on a meter) · ko 깜빡이 (turn signal) · te సూచిక (economic measure) · fr aiguille (needle or dial on a meter) · ro indicator (pointer) · lv indikators (pointer) · cs ukazatel (economic measure) · es luz direccional (turn signal) · hu mérőeszköz (meter or gauge) · ja インジケータ (pointer) · ja 針 (needle or dial on a meter) · hu -mérő (meter or gauge) · ja インジケーター (pointer) · sv indikator (economic measure) · bg мигач (turn signal) · el μετρητής (meter or gauge) · ru индика́тор (economic measure) · ko 방향 지시등 (turn signal) · de Blinkleuchte (turn signal) · sv blinker (turn signal) · hu indikátorfaj (indicative animal or plant) · mi taetohu (chemical) · is stefnuljós (turn signal) · ro semnalizator (turn signal) · es indicador (turn signal) · pt seta (turn signal) · pt ponteiro (needle or dial on a meter) · ru поворо́тник (turn signal) · hu mutató (pointer) · fi osoitin (pointer) · id indikator (pointer) · nl indicator (indicative animal or plant) · hu lúgjelző (chemical) · pl wskaźnik (chemical) · pt pisca-pisca (turn signal) · ko 지시약 (pointer) · cmn 指示符 (pointer) · ru индика́тор (needle or dial on a meter) · es luz intermitente (turn signal) · uk індика́тор (turn signal) · nn blinklys (turn signal) · sh kazaljka (needle or dial on a meter) · pt indicador (indicative animal or plant) · fo blunkljós (turn signal) · el δείκτης (chemical) · he פנס איתות (turn signal) · de Blinklicht (turn signal) · pt pisca (turn signal) · th ไฟเลี้ยว (turn signal) · ro indicator (chemical) · sv blinkljus (turn signal) · hu -jelző (pointer) · eo indikilo (pointer) · mk стре́лка (pointer) · es intermitente (turn signal) · fi indikaattorilaji (indicative animal or plant) · cmn 指揮燈 /指挥灯 (turn signal) · ro indicator (economic measure) · bg стрелка (pointer) · hy թարթիչ (turn signal) · ru указа́тель (turn signal) · bg индика́тор (meter or gauge) · da indikator (economic measure) · gd solas-tionndaidh (turn signal) · nl richtingaanwijzer (turn signal) · cmn 指針 /指针 (needle or dial on a meter) · bg показалец (pointer) · ko 인디케이터 (pointer) · hu -óra (meter or gauge) · fi osoitin (needle or dial on a meter) · es indicador (meter or gauge) · nl indicator (economic measure) · bg скала (needle or dial on a meter) · nn blinkljos (turn signal) · ru указа́тель (economic measure) · he וינקר (turn signal) · es luz señaladora (turn signal) · af rigtingwyser (turn signal) · pt indicador (chemical) · ru индика́тор (chemical) · hu irányjelző (turn signal)