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het·er·o·dyne

(hĕtər-ə-dīn′)

adj.

Combining electrical signals of two different frequencies to produce two new frequencies, the sum and difference of the original frequencies, either of which may be used in radio or television receivers by proper tuning or filtering.

tr.v. het·er·o·dyned, het·er·o·dyn·ing, het·er·o·dynes

To combine (a radio-frequency wave) with a locally generated wave of different frequency in order to produce a new frequency equal to the sum or difference of the two.

[HETERO- + -dyne, power, frequency (from Greek dunamis, power; see DYNAMIC).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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