QR Code: Definition, How It Works & Examples

Meaning 1：QR code (QR code)

QR code 🔊

/ˈkjuː ɑːr ˌkoʊd/

A square pattern made of black and white squares that you scan with your phone camera to quickly get information, like a website link.

QR code 🔊

➕

/ˈkjuː ɑːr ˌkoʊd/

A matrix barcode readable by smartphones, used to quickly retrieve information such as URLs or text.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

QR stands for 'Quick Response'; 'code' from Latin 'codex', meaning a system of signals.

💡 Mnemonic

Quick Response: scan the square to get info fast.

📖 Example

At the restaurant, we didn't get a paper menu; instead, there was a QR code on the table that we scanned to see the dishes on our phones. 🔊 At the restaurant, we didn't get a paper menu; instead, there was a QR code on the table that we scanned to see the dishes on our phones.

🔗 Collocations

scan a QR code – to use a phone camera to read a QR code

generate a QR code – to create a QR code using an online tool

QR code reader – a device or app that scans QR codes

🔄 Synonyms

Quick Response code (n.) – The full name of QR code, originating from its fast readability.

2D barcode (n.) – A two-dimensional barcode that can store more data than traditional linear barcodes.

📖 Cultural Story

QR code was invented in 1994 by Denso Wave, a Japanese subsidiary of Toyota, as a way to track vehicles during manufacturing. It became popular for quick data access.