receiver

The word “receiver” means a person or thing that receives something. In plain terms, someone or something that takes in what is sent — a person, a radio, or a football player.

“Receiver” is pronounced rih-SEE-vuh (/ɹəˈsi.vɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “receiver” used in a sentence: “As the receiver of the award, she gave a short thank-you speech.”

“Receiver” is a noun.

The word “receiver” comes from Anglo-Norman. From Anglo-Norman receivour, later reshaped as receive plus -er.

“Receiver” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Receiver” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person or thing that receives something.

A recipient is specifically a person who receives something, such as the recipient of an award or a letter. Receiver is broader: it can name a person or a thing that receives, and it has special uses — an electronic device, a phone earpiece, a football player, or an official who manages a bankrupt company's assets.

A receiver is a person appointed, usually by a court or a lender, to manage the assets of a company going through bankruptcy. The receiver takes control of those assets and manages or sells them so that the company's debts can be repaid.

A wide receiver is a player whose main job is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback. Receivers typically line up near the sidelines and run planned routes to get open for the ball.

The part of a phone you hold to your ear is called the receiver because it receives the incoming signal and turns it into sound. The word survives from the era of fixed-line phones, when "picking up the receiver" meant lifting the handset.