velocimeter

American

[vee-loh-sim-uh-ter, vel-oh-] / ˌvi loʊˈsɪm ə tər, ˌvɛl oʊ- /

noun

any of various instruments for measuring velocity, as of a wave in water or of sound in air.

velocimeter Scientific

/ vē′lō-sĭm′ĭ-tər,vĕl′ō- /

A device that utilizes the Doppler effect to measure the speed of sound in water. Developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, a velocimeter transmits a pulse of sound through water and measures its echo for changes in either pitch or frequency. Oceanographers employ velocimeters to study the interior structure of breaking waves; they are also used in hydraulic engineering and to study fluid flow.

First recorded in 1842; veloci(ty) + -meter

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023