From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) :
scanner
n 1: someone who scans verse to determine the number and
prosodic value of the syllables
2: an electronic device that generates a digital representation
of an image for data input to a computer [syn: scanner,
digital scanner, image scanner]
3: a radar dish that rotates or oscillates in order to scan a
broad area
4: a radio receiver that moves automatically across some
selected range of frequencies looking for some signal or
condition; "they used scanners to monitor police radio
channels" [syn: scanner, electronic scanner]
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018) :
scanner
1. An input device that takes in an optical image and
digitises it into an electronic image represented as binary
data. This can be used to create a computerised version of a
photo or illustration.
A scanner may be linked to optical character recognition
software allowing printed documents to be converted to
electronic text without having to type them in at a keyboard.
2. lexical analyser.
(1995-02-14)