echolocation
gb/ˌɛkoʊloʊkˈeɪʃən/ us/ˌɛkoʊloʊkˈeɪʃən/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
technical
C1
process
1
navigation by reflected sound
a way some animals find things by listening to echoes
Usage pattern:
echolocation (in [animal])
Common mistake:
Echolocation is not the same as simply having good hearing; it specifically involves using echoes from sounds that are produced.
Synonyms
biosonar (often used for echolocation in animals, especially marine mammals.)
Antonyms
vision (finding things by sight rather than by echoes.)
Collocations
bat echolocation
|dolphin echolocation
|use echolocation
|echolocation ability
|echolocation system
|echolocation calls
|echolocation pulses
|echolocation signals
|echolocation behavior
|navigate by echolocation
Themes
animals
|biology
|senses
|nature
Examples
- Bats rely on echolocation to avoid obstacles in the dark.
- Scientists recorded echolocation calls to study how dolphins hunt.
- The cave fish showed reduced vision but strong echolocation-like sensing.
Learner examples
- Bats use echolocation at night.
- Echolocation helps dolphins find fish.
Noun
technical
C1
process
2
locating objects with sound echoes
a way to find objects by sending sound and listening to the echo
Usage pattern:
echolocation for [purpose]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse echolocation with radar; radar uses radio waves, while echolocation uses sound.
Synonyms
sonar (a broader term; echolocation is often used for biological or biomimetic sonar.)
Antonyms
radar (a different ranging method that uses radio waves instead of sound.)
Collocations
echolocation technique
|echolocation method
|echolocation-based navigation
|echolocation algorithm
|echolocation sensor
|echolocation experiment
|echolocation data
|echolocation mapping
|underwater echolocation
|echolocation signal processing
Themes
science
|technology
|sound
|navigation
Examples
- The robot uses echolocation to map the corridor when the lights are off.
- Engineers tested echolocation methods for obstacle detection in drones.
- Echolocation can be effective underwater because sound travels well in water.
Learner examples
- The device uses echolocation to find walls.
- Echolocation works by listening to echoes.
Noun
C1
process
3
human navigation by clicking sounds
a way some people use echoes to know where things are
Usage pattern:
learn echolocation; use echolocation to [do something]
Common mistake:
It does not mean using a machine; in this sense it can be a learned human skill.
Synonyms
click-based navigation (describes the common technique used in human echolocation.)
Antonyms
visual navigation (moving around mainly by using sight rather than echoes.)
Collocations
human echolocation
|learn echolocation
|echolocation training
|echolocation skills
|mouth clicks
|use clicks for echolocation
|echolocation in blind people
|practice echolocation
Themes
health
|disability
|senses
|daily_life
Examples
- After months of practice, he used echolocation to move confidently through unfamiliar rooms.
- The documentary showed how echolocation can help some blind people judge distance.
- She made small clicks and listened for changes in the echo as part of her echolocation routine.
Learner examples
- He learned echolocation to walk safely.
- She uses clicks for echolocation.
Noun
technical
C1
abstract
4
the act of echo-based detection
finding something by using echoes
Usage pattern:
echolocation of [object/area]
Common mistake:
This is a broad sense; in many contexts it specifically refers to animals (especially bats and dolphins).
Synonyms
echo ranging (a general descriptive term for measuring location by echoes.)
Antonyms
direct observation (identifying something without relying on reflected sound.)
Collocations
the echolocation process
|echolocation of targets
|echolocation in darkness
|echolocation in water
|echolocation research
|echolocation study
Themes
science
|sound
Examples
- Echolocation is an efficient way to detect objects when visibility is low.
- The lecture explained echolocation as a process of measuring time delays in echoes.
Learner examples
- Echolocation uses echoes to detect objects.
Grammar
Dictionary form
echolocation
IPA
GB/ˌɛkoʊloʊkˈeɪʃən/
US/ˌɛkoʊloʊkˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
echo - loca - tion (3 syllables)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: echolocation
- Plural: echolocations
Word family
Forms
echolocations
noun
Core family
echolocate
verb C1
echolocator
noun
Expressions
active echolocation
1/ˈæktɪv ˌɛkoʊloʊkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
echolocation by making sounds
echolocation where you make the sound yourself
Examples
- Bats use active echolocation by emitting calls and listening for echoes.
- The paper compared active echolocation with other sensory strategies in nocturnal animals.
bat echolocation
1/bˈæt ˌɛkoʊloʊkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
echolocation used by bats
the way bats use echoes to find things
Examples
- Researchers analyzed bat echolocation to understand how bats track fast-moving insects.
- Bat echolocation changes depending on whether the bat is in open air or near trees.
dolphin echolocation
1/dˈɑlfən ˌɛkoʊloʊkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
echolocation used by dolphins
the way dolphins use clicks and echoes underwater
Examples
- Dolphin echolocation is strong enough to detect fish hiding in sand.
- The team used underwater microphones to capture dolphin echolocation in the bay.
echolocation call
1/ˌɛkoʊloʊkˈeɪʃən kˈɔl/
fixed phrase
technical
sound used to create echoes
a sound an animal makes to hear echoes
Examples
- The bat emitted an echolocation call just before it grabbed the moth.
- Different species have distinctive echolocation calls that can be identified in recordings.
passive echolocation
1/pˈæsɪv ˌɛkoʊloʊkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
echo use without making sounds
finding things by listening to echoes of other sounds
Examples
- Some researchers discuss passive echolocation in animals that exploit ambient noise.
- Passive echolocation can be harder because the sound source is not under the listener’s control.