hygroscope

American  

[hahy-gruh-skohp] / ˈhaɪ grəˌskoʊp /

noun

1. an instrument that indicates the approximate humidity of the air.

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hygroscope British  

/ ˈhaɪɡrəˌskəʊp /

noun

1. any device that indicates the humidity of the air without necessarily measuring it

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hygroscope Scientific  

/ hī′grə-skōp′ /

1. An instrument that records changes in atmospheric humidity. Unlike a hygrometer, a hygroscope only indicates a change in relative humidity, without measuring the magnitude of the change.

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Etymology

Origin of hygroscope

First recorded in 1655–65; hygro- + -scope

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hygroscope

The third is, the hygroscope, moving the punch, which shews the difference between the moistest and driest airs.

From The Introduction of Self-Registering Meteorological Instruments by Robert P. Multhauf

In this way a small area of the surface of the earth is converted into a hygroscope, and these test surfaces tell us whether the ground is cooled to the dew-point or not.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 530, February 27, 1886 by Various

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