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radar (n.)

"electronic system for locating objects by means of radio waves," 1941, acronym (more or less) from radio detecting and ranging. The U.S. choice, it won out over British radiolocation. Figurative from 1950.

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Definitions of radar from WordNet

radar (n.)
measuring instrument in which the echo of a pulse of microwave radiation is used to detect and locate distant objects;
Synonyms: microwave radar / radio detection and ranging / radiolocation
From wordnet.princeton.edu