thermometer

noun

ther·​mom·​e·​ter thər-ˈmä-mə-tər 

thə-ˈmä-mə-tər

plural thermometers

: an instrument for determining temperature

specifically : one consisting of a sensor housed in a metal probe that registers a change in electrical resistance as a change in temperature

thermometric

ˌthər-mə-ˈme-trik 

adjective

thermometrically

ˌthər-mə-ˈme-tri-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of thermometer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This package includes the thermometer, regular and mini probes and the protective case. —Kaila Yu, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Stock up on tissues and dig out your thermometer, cold and flu season is back. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 28 Oct. 2024

These recommendations have become more accurate as teams have gone from stopwatches and handheld engine thermometers to in-car sensors that produce 1.1 million data points per second. —Chris Hawes, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2024

These are the same 3-volt batteries that commonly slot into wristwatches, kitchen thermometers, and other small electronics. —Reece Rogers, WIRED, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing thermometer

• clinical thermometer
• dry bulb thermometer
• forehead thermometer
• temporal artery thermometer
• temporal thermometer

Kids Definition

thermometer

noun

ther·​mom·​e·​ter thə(r)-ˈmäm-ət-ər 

: an instrument for measuring temperature

thermometric

ˌthər-mə-ˈme-trik 

adjective

Medical Definition

thermometer

noun

ther·​mom·​e·​ter thə(r)-ˈmäm-ət-ər 

: 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