vernier
Also vernier scale . a small, movable, graduated scale running parallel to the fixed graduated scale of a sextant, theodolite, barometer, etc., and used for measuring a fractional part of one of the divisions of the fixed scale.
Machinery. an auxiliary device for giving a piece of apparatus a higher adjustment accuracy.
equipped with a vernier: a vernier barometer.
Origin of vernier
1Other definitions for Vernier (2 of 2)
Pierre [pyer], /pyɛr/, 1580–1637, French mathematician and inventor.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use vernier in a sentence
Multhaus just sat there, surrounded by a wall of concentration, his hands still on the verniers, his eyes still on the screen.
Unwise Child | Gordon Randall GarrettThe upper part of the tubes is of glass, and they are provided with a brass scale and two verniers b, b.
Electric illumination and magnifying glasses are fitted to the verniers.
Astronomical Instruments and Accessories | Wm. Gaertner & Co.Considerable care is requisite in adjusting the verniers, so as to keep the instrument steady and vertical.
A Treatise on Meteorological Instruments | Henry NegrettiThe verniers are fitted with adjustable magnifying glasses, the telescopes have an aperture of 25 mm., focal length of 200 mm.
Astronomical Instruments and Accessories | Wm. Gaertner & Co.
British Dictionary definitions for vernier
/ (ˈvɜːnɪə) /
a small movable scale running parallel to the main graduated scale in certain measuring instruments, such as theodolites, used to obtain a fractional reading of one of the divisions on the main scale
an auxiliary device for making a fine adjustment to an instrument, usually by means of a fine screw thread
(modifier) relating to or fitted with a vernier: a vernier scale; a vernier barometer
Origin of vernier
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for Vernier
[ vĕr-nyā′ ]
French mathematician and maker of scientific instruments, known especially for his invention of an auxiliary scale (named after him) used for obtaining a highly precise reading of a subdivision of an ordinary scale.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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