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

• 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

From the Coldwater site and another site, named Timberline, directly on the mountain, Johnston peered through a big, boxy instrument called a correlation spectrometer.

From Literature

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

Together, these methods acted like ultra-high-resolution "chemical CT scanners" and "mass spectrometers" for the microscopic world.

From Science Daily

Companies in China typically provide dual-use technologies that improve the precision of Iran’s projectiles, such as spectrometers, gyroscopes and other measurement devices, said Ben Taleblu.

From The Wall Street Journal

Using a very sensitive mass spectrometer to identify and measure chemical compounds, the researchers discovered that their early Earth simulation produced a wide range of sulfur biomolecules.

From Science Daily