clinometer

[klahy-nom-i-ter, kli-]

noun

1. an instrument for determining angles of inclination or slope.

clinometer

/ ˌklaɪnəˈmɛtrɪk, klaɪˈnɒmɪtə /

noun

1. an instrument used in surveying for measuring an angle of inclination

Other Word Forms

• clinometry noun
• clinometric adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of clinometer¹

First recorded in 1805–15; clino- + -meter

Example Sentences

Tree measurements are collected using such forestry tools as a low-tech Biltmore stick, a clinometer or, most accurate of all, a laser hypsometer.

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He used a clinometer, a device that allowed him to determine the height by triangulating, using the tree, his own position and the angle of the distance between them.

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Between the col and the summit we met some very steep snow slopes on the South side: we carried no clinometer and I shall not venture to estimate their angles of inclination.

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Records are sketchy on exactly when the height-measuring clinometer was invented.

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"Are you certain," I repeated, "that you've only got your own telescope and sight clinometer?"

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