Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

monitor

1. mon.i.tor \'ma:n-*t-*r\ \.ma:n-*-'to-r-e--*l, -'to.r-\ 
   \'ma:n-*t-*r-.ship\ \'ma:n-*-tr*s\ n [L, one that warns, overseer, fr. 
   monitus, pp. of mone-re to war] [Monitor, first ship of the type]n - more 
   at MIND 1a: a student appointed to assist a teacher  1b: a person or thing 
   that warns or instructs  1c: one that monitors or is used in monitoring; 
   specif : a receiver  used to view the picture being picked up by a 
   television camera 2: any of various large tropical Old World pleurodont 
   lizards (genus Var anus and family Varanidae) closely related to the 
   iguanas 3a: a heavily armored warship formerly used in coastal operations 
   having a  very low freeboard and one or more revolving gun turrets 3b: a 
   small modern warship with shallow draft for coastal bombardment  - 
   mon.i.to.ri.al aj
2. monitor \'ma:n-*t-*-rin, 'ma:n-*-trin\ vt or mon.i.tor.ing 1: to check 
   (as a radio or television signal or program) by means of a rec eiver for 
   quality or fidelity to a band or for military, political, or criminal 
   significance 2: to test for intensity of radiations esp. if due to 
   radioactivity  3: to watch, observe, or check esp. for a special purpose  
   4: to keep track of, regulate, or control  5: to check or regulate the 
   volume or quality of (sound) in recording