barometer

[buh-rom-i-ter]

noun

Meteorology. any instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.Compare aneroid barometer, mercury barometer.

anything that indicates changes.

Nearby words

Origin of barometer

First recorded in 1655–65; baro- + -meter

Related formsbar·o·met·ric

[bar-uh-me-trik] /ˌbær əˈmɛ trɪk/, bar·o·met·ri·cal, adjectivebar·o·met·ri·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for barometric

Unfortunately, the matter was one not to be settled by argument but by the Bourse, which has a barometric reasoning of its own.
Benjamin Franklin; Self-Revealed, Volume II (of 2)|Wiliam Cabell Bruce
He made me tell him the temperature and the barometric pressure every hour for about a month!
The Right Time|Walter Bupp
The transactions of the postal service indicate with barometric certainty the fluctuations in the business of the country.
Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents|Grover Cleveland
The way in which barometric changes are related to weather will appear in a later part of this book.
Meteorology|Charles Fitzhugh Talman

Taking a barometric reading consists in measuring the height of the mercury column.
General Science|Bertha M. Clark

British Dictionary definitions for barometric

barometer

noun

an instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure, usually to determine altitude or weather changes

anything that shows change or impending changethe barometer of social change

Derived Formsbarometric (ˌbærəˈmɛtrɪk) or barometrical, adjectivebarometrically, adverbbarometry, noun

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

Word Origin and History for barometric

barometric

adj.

1802, from barometer + -ic. Barometrical is recorded from 1660s.

barometer

1660s, from Greek baros "weight" (from barys "heavy;" see grave (adj.)) + -meter. Probably coined (and certainly popularized) by English scientist Robert Boyle (1627-1691).

Science definitions for barometric

barometer

[bə-rŏm′ĭ-tər]

An instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure. Barometers are used in determining height above sea level and in forecasting the weather. The two primary types of barometers are the aneroid and the mercury barometer.

Culture definitions for barometric

barometer

An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.

Note

In general, when the barometer falls in response to a drop in pressure, bad weather is approaching; when the barometer rises because of an increase in pressure, good weather will follow.