Definition of "echolocation" [echolocation]

• A sensory system in certain animals, such as bats and dolphins, in which usually high-pitched sounds are emitted and their echoes interpreted to determine the direction and distance of objects. (noun)
• Electronics A process for determining the location of objects by emitting sound waves and analyzing the waves reflected back to the sender by the object. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The fact that you can use the word echolocation in such a casually appropriate and witty way in your blog post...well, it makes me want to squee! squee!"
• "The incredible change, his mother said, is owed to a technique called echolocation, similar to the method used by dolphins and bats, that allows Lucas to paint a picture of his surroundings using sound he creates himself."
• "Bats use a process called echolocation to locate and catch prey."