English Reference

Word

locator

Phoneticslo·ca·tor

US/ˈɫoʊˌkeɪtɝ/

UK/ləʊkˈeɪtɐ/

Definition

n. a tool or person that helps you find where something is. You might use one to find a lost phone or a specific place on a map.

n. a person or device that identifies the position or site of something. Often used in technical contexts to describe software components or hardware sensors that track coordinates.

Examples

“The store has a digital locator to help you find products.”

“The technician used a cable locator to find the underground wires before the construction crew started digging.”

“Modern web browsers include a built-in resource locator that allows users to navigate directly to specific files hosted on remote servers across the globe.”

Examples

simple

“The store has a digital locator to help you find products.”

contextual

“The technician used a cable locator to find the underground wires before the construction crew started digging.”

complex

“Modern web browsers include a built-in resource locator that allows users to navigate directly to specific files hosted on remote servers across the globe.”

Usage

Often appears in compound nouns like 'store locator', 'resource locator', or 'emergency locator'.

Real-World Examples

“If you’re unsure about your nearest options, try the Recycling Locator on Recycle Your Electricals .”
The Guardian · 19 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Latin locātor. By surface analysis, locate + -or.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/locator

English Reference