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gradiometer

American  
[grey-dee-om-i-ter] / ˌgreɪ diˈɒm ɪ tər /

noun

Physics.

  1. any instrument used to measure a gradient, as the rate of change of the geomagnetic field.

gradiometer British  
/ ˌɡrædɪˈɒmɪtə /

noun

  1. physics an instrument for measuring the gradient of a magnetic field

  2. surveying an instrument used to ensure that a long gradient remains constant

"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

Etymology

Origin of gradiometer

First recorded in 1800–10; gradi(ent) + -o- + -meter

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Goce, which circles the Earth from pole to pole, carries a state of the art gradiometer to sense the variations on a scale better than 100km.

From BBC • Dec. 21, 2010

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.