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  

/ ˌspɛktrəʊˈmɛtrɪk, 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

Derived Forms

• spectrometric
  adjective
• spectrometry
  noun

Etymology

Origin of spectrometer

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

Compare meaning

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

• spectrometer vs. spectrophotometer

Example Sentences

The spectrometer also functions as an integral field unit, allowing scientists to obtain a spectrum at every location across a small region of sky.

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026

Its setup includes a powerful windowless gaseous tritium source, a high-resolution spectrometer that precisely measures electron energies, and a detector that records the particles.

From Science Daily • Dec. 27, 2025

Then an instrument called a mass spectrometer will analyse any gases that are released.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2025

On Jan. 11, an airborne imaging spectrometer managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory flew over Los Angeles County to survey the damage from the historic fires.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 18, 2025

I asked Todd Dawson, a biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, to run a McDonald’s meal through his spectrometer.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan