spectrometer

American  

[spek-trom-i-ter] / spɛkˈtrɒm ɪ tər /

noun

Optics.

1. an optical device for measuring wavelengths, deviation of refracted rays, and angles between faces of a prism, especially an instrument prism spectrometer consisting of a slit through which light passes, a collimator, a prism that deviates the light, and a telescope through which the deviated light is viewed and examined.

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spectrometer British  

/ spɛkˈtrɒmɪtə /

noun

1. any instrument for producing a spectrum, esp one in which wavelength, energy, intensity, etc, can be measured See also mass spectrometer

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spectrometer Scientific  

/ spĕk-trŏm′ĭ-tər /

1. A spectroscope equipped with devices for measuring the frequencies of the radiation observed by it.

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Other Word Forms

• spectrometry
  noun
• spectrometric
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of spectrometer

First recorded in 1870–75; spectro- + -meter

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Compare meaning

How does spectrometer compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• spectrometer vs. spectrophotometer

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spectrometer

When used to identify plastics, pharmaceuticals, coffee, flour, and tea, the spectrometer achieved a 100% classification success rate in the reported tests.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

A mass spectrometer was used to measure the isotope ratios in that gas.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

The researchers created them with FRIB's Low Energy Beam and Ion Trap, or LEBIT, a high-precision mass spectrometer.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026

Scientists then examined those fragments with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, an instrument that identifies ions by measuring how quickly they reach a detector.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

In the great Martian dust storm of 1971, spectral features of the dust were obtained by the Mariner 9 infrared spectrometer.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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