tachometer

American  

[ta-kom-i-ter, tuh-] / tæˈkɒm ɪ tər, tə- /

noun

1. any of various instruments for measuring or indicating velocity or speed, as of a machine, a river, or the blood.

2. an instrument measuring revolutions per minute, as of an engine.

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tachometer British  

/ ˌtækəˈmɛtrɪk, tæˈkɒmɪtə /

noun

1. any device for measuring speed, esp the rate of revolution of a shaft. Tachometers (rev counters) are often fitted to cars to indicate the number of revolutions per minute of the engine

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Other Word Forms

• tachometry
  noun
• tachometric
  adjective
• tachometrically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of tachometer

First recorded in 1800–10; tacho- + -meter

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tachometer

Watch as the graphically animated tachometer needle fans through a couple of full-power upshifts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

This genre-defying book of compressed prose, poetry and image is the product of a mind — and heart — pushing the artistic tachometer to the red line.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 22, 2021

A conventional dash with all its gauges in place, save a single unit in place of the tachometer to relay the electrical goings-ons, will be an option on retrofitted vehicles.

From New York Times ● Sep. 6, 2018

The effective head-up display will show, depending on operator selection, speed, speed limit, tachometer, compass and other things.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2016

At the forward end of this shaft there is also mounted an air pump for maintaining pressure on the fuel supply tank, and a bevel gear tachometer drive.

From A History of Aeronautics by Evelyn Charles Vivian