thermometer

noun ther·mom·e·ter \thə(r)-ˈmä-mə-tər\

: an instrument used for measuring temperature

Full Definition of THERMOMETER

: an instrument for determining temperature; especially : one consisting of a glass bulb attached to a fine tube of glass with a numbered scale and containing a liquid (as mercury or colored alcohol) that is sealed in and rises and falls with changes of temperature

— ther·mo·met·ric \ˌthər-mə-ˈme-trik\ adjective

— ther·mo·met·ri·cal·ly \-tri-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See thermometer defined for English-language learners

See thermometer defined for kids

Origin of THERMOMETER

French thermomètre, from Greek thermē heat + French -o- + -mètre -meter — more at therm

First Known Use: 1633

Rhymes with THERMOMETER

barometer, ceilometer, chronometer, cyclometer, ergometer, Fathometer, gasometer, geometer, hydrometer, hygrometer, kilometer, manometer, micrometer, odometer, pedometer, photometer, pyrometer, rheometer, seismometer, spectrometer, speedometer, tachometer, viscometer

THERMOMETRICALLY Defined for Kids

thermometer

noun ther·mom·e·ter \thər-ˈmä-mə-tər, thə-ˈmä-\

Definition of THERMOMETER for Kids

: an instrument for measuring temperature

Word Root of THERMOMETER

The Greek word metron, meaning “measure,” gives us the root metr. Words from the Greek metron have something to do with measuring. A thermometer is an instrument that measures temperature. A diameter is the measurement across the center of a circle. The metric system is a system used for measuring size, weight, and volume. A perimeter is the measurement of the outside of a figure or shape.

Medical Dictionary

thermometer

noun ther·mom·e·ter \thə(r)-ˈmäm-ət-ər\

Medical Definition of THERMOMETER

: an instrument for determining temperature that usually consists either of a device providing a digital readout or of a glass bulb attached to a fine tube of glass with a numbered scale and containing a liquid (as mercury or colored alcohol) that is sealed in and rises and falls with changes of temperature