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galvanometer

[ gal-vuh-nom-i-ter ]
/ ˌgæl vəˈnɒm ɪ tər /
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noun
an instrument for detecting the existence of small electric currents and determining their strength.
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Origin of galvanometer

First recorded in 1795–1805; galvano- + -meter
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use galvanometer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for galvanometer

galvanometer
/ (ˌɡælvəˈnɒmɪtə) /

noun
any sensitive instrument for detecting or measuring small electric currents

Derived forms of galvanometer

galvanometric (ˌɡælvənəʊˈmɛtrɪk, ɡælˌvænə-) or galvanometrical, adjectivegalvanometrically, adverbgalvanometry, 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

Scientific definitions for galvanometer

galvanometer
[ găl′və-nŏmĭ-tər ]

An instrument that detects small electric currents and indicates their direction and relative strength. Current flowing through the galvanometer passes through a coil near a magnetized needle on a pivot; the strength of the current in the coil regulates the strength of a magnetic field that displaces the needle. Galvanometers can be used directly as ammeters, and are the core element of many ohmmeters and voltmeters.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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