pyrheliometer

[ pahyuhr-hee-lee-om-i-ter, pir- ]

nounAstrophysics.
  1. an instrument for measuring the total intensity of the sun's energy radiation.

Origin of pyrheliometer

1
First recorded in 1860–65; pyr- + helio- + -meter

Other words from pyrheliometer

  • pyr·he·li·o·met·ric [pahyuhr-hee-lee-uh-me-trik, pir-], /ˌpaɪər hi li əˈmɛ trɪk, ˌpɪr-/, adjective

Words Nearby pyrheliometer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for pyrheliometer

pyrheliometer

/ (pəˌhiːlɪˈɒmɪtə) /


noun
  1. an instrument for measuring the intensity of the sun's radiant energy

Derived forms of pyrheliometer

  • pyrheliometric (pəˌhiːlɪəʊˈmɛtrɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for pyrheliometer

pyrheliometer

[ pīr′hē-lē-ŏmĭ-tər ]


  1. An instrument used to measure the total amount of radiation from the Sun that hits a surface. It works by converting the Sun's heat into a voltage that is then recorded by a voltmeter.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.