logger

Everyday

1. A person whose job is cutting down trees and taking the logs away; a lumberjack. tree →
2. (science, computers) A device or program that records information again and again over time, like temperatures or events. tree →
3. (computers) A small program that writes a list (a log) of what happens on a computer. tree →

In the lessons

In history and geography, loggers are tied to forests, timber and saw mills in Canada, the USA, Australia and New Zealand, and to debates about cutting down rainforests. In science, a «data logger» records temperature, light or sound every few seconds for an experiment. In computing, a logger keeps a record of what a program did. Phrases: «data logger», «a logger's camp», «illegal loggers».

Examples

• The logger cut the tall pine with a chainsaw. tree →
• Loggers in Canada once floated logs down the rivers. tree →
• We left a data logger in the classroom to record the temperature overnight. tree →
• The data logger showed it got coldest at 5 o'clock in the morning. tree →
• Illegal loggers are damaging parts of the Amazon rainforest. tree →
• A logger must wear a helmet and strong boots for safety. tree →
• The game has a logger that writes down every error. tree →
• The old loggers' hut is now a museum. tree →

Note

Countable: one logger, two loggers. From «log» + «-er». Other words for the job: «lumberjack» (North America), «timber worker», «forester» (looks after a forest, not always cutting). A «data logger» is a machine, not a person. Not a maths word, but data loggers produce tables and graphs used in maths and science.