voltmeter

[ vohlt-mee-ter ]

/ ˈvoʊltˌmi tər /

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noun Electricity.

a calibrated instrument for measuring the potential difference between two points.

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Origin of voltmeter

First recorded in 1880–85; volt¹ + -meter

Words nearby voltmeter

volt-ampere, Volta Redonda, volte, volte-face, volti, voltmeter, Volturno, Volturnus, voluble, volume, volumed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use voltmeter in a sentence

The hydrogen electrode is connected with the negative post of the voltmeter, the oxygen electrode with the positive post.
The Elements of Qualitative Chemical Analysis, vol. 1, parts 1 and 2.|Julius Stieglitz
The instrument may be used as either a voltmeter or as an ammeter, and its operation will be identical in each case.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
Despite the fact that the voltmeter seemed to be shorted out by the relux plate, the needle pointed steadily at twenty-two.
Islands of Space|John W Campbell
The relux plate cooled slightly, and the voltmeter remained steady.
Islands of Space|John W Campbell

In place of a shunt, the voltmeter uses a coil of wire of high resistance (see R, Fig. 249) in series with the galvanometer coil.
Physics|Willis Eugene Tower

British Dictionary definitions for voltmeter

voltmeter

/ (ˈvəʊltˌmiːtə) /

noun

an instrument for measuring potential difference or electromotive force

Collins 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 voltmeter

voltmeter

[ vōlt′mē′tər ]

An instrument used for measuring the difference in voltage between two points in an electric circuit. Voltmeters typically make use of an ammeter that measures current flow across a known resistance inside the voltmeter; direct-current voltages can then be determined by Ohm's law. Digital voltmeters employ A/D converters to provide the numerical value of the voltage displayed. Compare ohmmeter.