thermometer

American  

[ther-mom-i-ter] / θərˈmɒm ɪ tər /

noun

thermometers plural

1. an instrument for measuring temperature, often a sealed glass tube that contains a column of liquid, as mercury, that expands and contracts, or rises and falls, with temperature changes, the temperature being read where the top of the column coincides with a calibrated scale marked on the tube or its frame.

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thermometer British  

/ θəˈmɒmɪtə /

noun

1. an instrument used to measure temperature, esp one in which a thin column of liquid, such as mercury, expands and contracts within a graduated sealed tube See also clinical thermometer gas thermometer resistance thermometer thermocouple pyrometer

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thermometer Scientific  

/ thər-mŏm′ĭ-tər /

1. An instrument used to measure temperature. There are many types of thermometers; the most common consist of a closed, graduated glass tube in which a liquid expands or contracts as the temperature increases or decreases. Other types of thermometers work by detecting changes in the volume or pressure of an enclosed gas or by registering thermoelectric changes in a conductor (such as a thermistor or thermocouple).

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• thermometric
  adjective
• thermometrical
  adjective
• thermometrically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• thermometers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of thermometer

First recorded in 1615–25; thermo- + -meter

Explanation

A thermometer is a tool that measures temperature — how hot or cold something is. Thermometers are used to see if you have a fever or tell you how cold it is outside. Made up of thermo (heat) and meter (measuring device), the meaning of the word thermometer is pretty straightforward. Thermometers measure temperatures in degrees, according to either the Celsius or Fahrenheit system. Meteorologists use thermometers to find out how hot it is or if it's below freezing. Doctors use thermometers to check your body temperature — a very high or low body temperature means you're sick.

Example Sentences

The higher-end Pixel 8 Pro also gets a temperature sensor and Google said it had filed an application with the FDA to enable the Thermometer App to take body temperature.

From Reuters • Oct. 4, 2023

Yesenia Navarro, a 33-year-old employee at the World’s Largest Thermometer gift shop, hates what COVID-19 has done to her once close-knit community.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2020

The compact, durable Lavatools PT12 Javelin Meat Thermometer produces a temperature reading in about three seconds, and it displays the reading on a large LCD screen that’s easy to see even in low light.

From Slate • Jun. 29, 2018

“All hands in Clean whites. Thermometer up to 88 in the shade,” Isermann wrote.

From Washington Times • Apr. 15, 2017

Dew Points and Vapor Pressures; also Relative Humidities by means of Wet and Dry-Bulb Thermometer, for any temperatures and change in temperature.

From Seasoning of Wood by Wagner, J. B. (Joseph Bernard)

Related Words

• instrument
• thermostat