Usage Note
Detector is masculine and keeps its Latin-derived -or ending. The most common collocations are detector de metales (metal detector) and detector de humo (smoke detector). As an adjective it can modify a noun: un sistema detector ('a detection system'). The feminine agent noun detectora exists but is rare; compound phrases with de are far more frequent.
Examples
"El detector de humo sonó en mitad de la noche."
Natural Translation
The smoke detector went off in the middle of the night.

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