reducer
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /rɪdjˈuːsə/
US
- /rɪˈdusər/noun
Description
- device that makes something smaller
- substance that removes oxygen or adds electrons
- function that combines data into one result
- fitting between different sizes
- gear that lowers speed
A reducer is usually something that brings size, amount, speed, pressure, or data down to a smaller form. In everyday technical English, it is often a device or part that makes something lower or smaller. For example, a pipe reducer lets a large pipe connect to a smaller one, and a gear reducer lowers speed while increasing turning force.
The word is also common in science and computing. In chemistry, it can mean a reducing agent, a substance that causes reduction in a reaction. In programming, a reducer is a function that takes values step by step and turns them into one result, or updates state from an old value and an action. The idea is the same each time: something is being brought down, combined, or made more manageable.
A reducer is something that brings one thing down to a smaller, lower, or more limited form. The word appears most often in technical contexts, where it names a device, substance, or function that reduces size, speed, pressure, quantity, or complexity. One common example is a pipe reducer, a fitting that joins a larger pipe to a smaller one. Another is a gear reducer, which lowers output speed and usually increases torque.
In chemistry, reducer is used for a reducing agent, a substance that causes reduction by giving electrons to another substance. In this sense, the word has a precise scientific meaning, not just the general idea of making something less. In engineering and industry, it may also refer to equipment that lowers pressure, voltage, or flow, depending on the system being described.
In computing, a reducer is a function that takes input step by step and combines it into a single result, or uses the current state and an action to produce a new state. This is a standard term in functional programming and in tools such as Redux. Here, the idea of reduction is about turning many inputs or changes into one clear output.
So while the exact meaning depends on the field, the core sense stays steady. A reducer is the thing that does the reducing: it narrows, lowers, combines, or scales something down in a useful and controlled way.
Examples
- 1
Pipe fitting
The plumber installed a reducer to join the wider pipe to the smaller one.
Meaning
a reducer
a part that connects two pieces of different sizes
- 2
Hose connection
This tap won't fit the hose unless we add a reducer.
- 3
Workshop supplies
The workshop keeps several reducers in stock for different pipe sizes.
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- reducernoun