indicator

«indicator» in Mova's school dictionary: something that shows or points to what is happening or… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 4 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (an indicator, indicators)

meaning for a pupil

1) An indicator is something that shows or points to what is happening or what is true, like a sign or measurement. tree →

2) On a car or bike, an indicator is a flashing light that shows which way the vehicle will turn (a «blinker» or «turn signal» in the US). tree →

3) In science, an indicator is a substance that changes colour to show whether something is an acid or an alkali. tree →

sense in the lessons

In science lessons, pupils use red cabbage juice or litmus paper as indicators of acids and alkalis. In road safety, look for a car's indicators but never trust them completely; cyclists use hand signals as indicators. In maths and data, an indicator is a measure that shows a trend, like temperature as an indicator of season. Phrases: litmus indicator, universal indicator, put the indicator on, a good indicator of.

examples

• Litmus paper is an indicator that turns red in acid. tree →
• Red cabbage juice is an indicator: it changes colour in vinegar. tree →
• The car's left indicator was flashing. tree →
• Dad put his indicator on before turning right. tree →
• Dark clouds are an indicator of rain. tree →
• The fuel indicator showed the tank was nearly empty. tree →

note

Countable: indicators («an» before the vowel). Verb: indicate. Car «indicator» is UK/Australian English; US says «turn signal» or «blinker». A car's indicator shows what the driver plans, but always check the car really is turning.

In the corpora

• The juice is an indicator: a colour that tells you whether something is an acid or an alkali.
• Scientists use indicators too: litmus paper, made from lichens, turns red in acid and blue in alkali.
• Universal indicator mixes several dyes, so each pH gets its own colour, a whole rainbow from red to purple.
• An indicator is a substance whose colour shows whether something is acidic or alkaline.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «indicator» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.