Definition

1. Noun:
   • A device or program that arranges data, events, or instructions in a specific, predetermined order. This is the primary meaning in computing and music technology.
   • An instrument used to determine the specific order of monomers in a polymer chain. This is the primary meaning in chemistry and molecular biology.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Computing/Music):

  • The musician programmed the drum pattern using a digital sequencer.
  • The task scheduler acts as a sequencer for the processor's operations.

• Noun (Chemistry/Biology):

  • The lab used an automated DNA sequencer to analyze the genetic sample.
  • Modern protein sequencers can determine amino acid sequences rapidly.

Advanced Usage

• "Step sequencer": A type of sequencer, especially in music, that allows the user to program a pattern by activating a series of steps or triggers.

  • The classic analog synthesizer featured a 16-step sequencer for creating rhythmic patterns.

• "Automated sequencer": Refers to machines in laboratories that perform sequencing with minimal human intervention.

  • The arrival of the high-throughput automated sequencer revolutionized genomics research.

Variants and Related Words

• Sequence (n/v): The order in which things follow each other; to arrange in a particular order.

  • The sequence of events was critical to understanding the story.

• Sequencing (n): The action or process of determining the order of components or arranging them in order.

  • DNA sequencing has become a fundamental tool in biology.

Synonyms

• Arranger (for the computing/music sense): A device or program that sets things in order.
• Analyzer (for the chemistry sense, specifically): An instrument that determines the structure or composition of a substance.

Noun

1. computer hardware that sorts data or programs into a predetermined sequence
2. (chemistry) an apparatus that can determine the sequence of monomers in a polymer