MEASURING INSTRUMENT

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does measuring instrument mean? 

• MEASURING INSTRUMENT (noun)
  The noun MEASURING INSTRUMENT has 1 sense:

1. instrument that shows the extent or amount or quantity or degree of something

  Familiarity information: MEASURING INSTRUMENT used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MEASURING INSTRUMENT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Instrument that shows the extent or amount or quantity or degree of something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

measuring device; measuring instrument; measuring system

Hypernyms ("measuring instrument" is a kind of...):

instrument (a device that requires skill for proper use)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "measuring instrument"):

plethysmograph (a measuring instrument for measuring changes in volume of a part or organ or whole body (usually resulting from fluctuations in the amount of blood it contains))

seismograph (a measuring instrument for detecting and measuring the intensity and direction and duration of movements of the ground (as an earthquake))

sector (measuring instrument consisting of two graduated arms hinged at one end)

sclerometer (a measuring instrument that measures the hardness of materials by penetrating them with a stylus that has a diamond point)

scale; weighing machine (a measuring instrument for weighing; shows amount of mass)

rheometer (an instrument for measuring the flow of liquids (especially arterial blood))

refractometer (measuring instrument for measuring the refractive index of a substance)

range finder; rangefinder (a measuring instrument (acoustic or optical or electronic) for finding the distance of an object)

microwave radar; radar; radio detection and ranging; radiolocation (measuring instrument in which the echo of a pulse of microwave radiation is used to detect and locate distant objects)

quadrant (a measuring instrument for measuring altitude of heavenly bodies)

potentiometer (a measuring instrument for measuring direct current electromotive forces)

sensitometer (a measuring instrument for measuring the light sensitivity of film over a range of exposures)

Pitot; Pitot tube (measuring instrument consisting of a right-angled tube with an open end that is directed in opposition to the flow of a fluid and used to measure the velocity of fluid flow)

Pitot-static tube; Pitot head; Pitot tube (measuring instrument consisting of a combined Pitot tube and static tube that measures total and static pressure; used in aircraft to measure airspeed)

pipet; pipette (measuring instrument consisting of a graduated glass tube used to measure or transfer precise volumes of a liquid by drawing the liquid up into the tube)

piezometer (a measuring instrument for measuring high pressures)

photometer (measuring instrument for measuring the luminous intensity of a source by comparing it (visually or photoelectrically) with a standard source)

pelvimeter (measuring instrument for performing pelvimetry)

pedometer (measuring instrument for recording the number of steps taken in walking)

oximeter (a measuring instrument that measures the oxygen in arterial blood)

octant (a measuring instrument for measuring angles to a celestial body; similar to a sextant but with 45 degree calibration)

nephoscope (a measuring instrument that uses a grid for measuring the altitude, direction, and velocity of movement of clouds)

tensiometer (a measuring instrument for measuring the surface tension of a liquid)

wattmeter (an instrument for measuring in watts the flow of power in an electrical circuit)

viscometer; viscosimeter (a measuring instrument for measuring viscosity)

Venturi tube (a short tube inserted into a pipeline and used to measure the quantity of a liquid that is flowing in the pipeline)

variometer (a measuring instrument for measuring variations in a magnetic field)

torsion balance (measuring instrument designed to measure small forces by the torsion they exert on a thin wire)

tonometer (measuring instrument for measuring tension or pressure (especially for measuring intraocular pressure in testing for glaucoma))

horologe; timekeeper; timepiece (a measuring instrument or device for keeping time)

thermometer (measuring instrument for measuring temperature)

tensiometer (a measuring instrument for measuring the moisture content of soil)

tensiometer (a measuring instrument for measuring the tension in a wire or fiber or beam)

meter (any of various measuring instruments for measuring a quantity)

tape; tape measure; tapeline (measuring instrument consisting of a narrow strip (cloth or metal) marked in inches or centimeters and used for measuring lengths)

tach; tachometer (measuring instrument for indicating speed of rotation)

synchroniser; synchronizer; synchronoscope; synchroscope (an instrument that indicates whether two periodic motions are synchronous (especially an instrument that enables a pilot to synchronize the propellers of a plane that has two or more engines))

static tube (a measuring instrument used to measure static pressure in a stream of fluid)

spirometer (a measuring instrument for measuring the vital capacity of the lungs)

spirograph (a measuring instrument for recording the depth and rapidity of breathing movements)

spherometer (a measuring instrument for measuring the curvature of a surface)

asdic; echo sounder; sonar (a measuring instrument that sends out an acoustic pulse in water and measures distances in terms of the time for the echo of the pulse to return)

sextant (a measuring instrument for measuring the angular distance between celestial objects; resembles an octant)

buret; burette (measuring instrument consisting of a graduated glass tube with a tap at the bottom; used for titration)

densitometer (a measuring instrument for determining optical or photographic density)

densimeter; densitometer (a measuring instrument for determining density or specific gravity)

declinometer; transit declinometer (an instrument for measuring magnetic declination)

cryoscope (a measuring instrument for measuring freezing and melting points)

craniometer (an instrument for measuring skull sizes)

counter tube (a measuring instrument for counting individual ionizing events)

colorimeter; tintometer (a measuring instrument used in colorimetric analysis to determine the quantity of a substance from the color it yields with specific reagents)

chronoscope (an instrument for accurate measurements of small intervals of time)

calorimeter (a measuring instrument that determines quantities of heat)

caliper; calliper (an instrument for measuring the distance between two points (often used in the plural))

dosemeter; dosimeter (a measuring instrument for measuring doses of ionizing radiation (X-rays or radioactivity))

bolometer (an instrument that measures heat radiation; extremely sensitive)

bathometer; bathymeter (an instrument that measures the depth of water)

barometer (an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure)

audiometer; sonometer (an instrument used to measure the sensitivity of hearing)

atmometer; evaporometer (an instrument that measures rate of evaporation of water)

altimeter (an instrument that measures the height above ground; used in navigation)

altazimuth (an instrument that measures the altitude and azimuth of celestial bodies; used in navigation)

algometer (device for measuring pain caused by pressure)

actinometer (an instrument for measuring the intensity of electromagnetic radiation (usually by the photochemical effect))

gravimeter; hydrometer (a measuring instrument for determining the specific gravity of a liquid or solid)

measure; measuring rod; measuring stick (measuring instrument having a sequence of marks at regular intervals; used as a reference in making measurements)

log (measuring instrument that consists of a float that trails from a ship by a knotted line in order to measure the ship's speed through the water)

lidar (a measuring system that detects and locates objects on the same principle as radar but uses light from a laser; a potential technology for detecting air turbulence that can affect aircraft)

Kundt's tube (a measuring instrument used to measure the speed of sound)

katharometer (measures thermal conductivity)

ionization chamber; ionization tube (a measuring instrument that measures the amount of ionizing radiation)

interferometer (any measuring instrument that uses interference patterns to make accurate measurements of waves)

integrator; planimeter (a measuring instrument for measuring the area of an irregular plane figure)

dip circle; inclinometer (a measuring instrument for measuring the angle of magnetic dip (as from an airplane))

hygrometer (measuring instrument for measuring the relative humidity of the atmosphere)

accelerometer (an instrument for measuring the acceleration of aircraft or rockets)

haematocrit; hematocrit (a measuring instrument to determine (usually by centrifugation) the relative amounts of corpuscles and plasma in the blood)

heliometer (an instrument used to measure the angular separation of two stars that are too far apart to be included in the field of view of an ordinary telescope)

gravimeter; gravity meter (a measuring instrument for measuring variations in the gravitational field of the earth)

graduate (a measuring instrument for measuring fluid volume; a glass container (cup or cylinder or flask) whose sides are marked with or divided into amounts)

gage; gauge (a measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity such as the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc.)

eudiometer (measuring instrument consisting of a graduated glass tube for measuring volume changes in chemical reactions between gases)

electroscope (measuring instrument that detects electric charge; two gold leaves diverge owing to repulsion of charges with like sign)

electrodynamometer (measuring instrument that uses the interaction of the magnetic fields of two coils to measure current or voltage or power)

dynamometer; ergometer (measuring instrument designed to measure power)

 Context examples 

A device that uses a gel to carry an electric current from the skin to a measuring instrument.

(Gel electrode, NCI Dictionary)

The ability of the items in a measuring instrument or test to adequately measure or represent the content of the property that the investigator wishes to measure.

(Content Validity, NCI Thesaurus)

The act of checking or adjusting (by comparison with a standard) the accuracy of a measuring instrument.

(Calibration, NCI Thesaurus)

The researchers point out that this system is more accurate than the famous polygraph –a measuring instrument used for recording physiological responses– and other brain‑imaging techniques used in research, since thermography offers an accuracy of up to 80% (10% higher than that of the polygraph).

(The most reliable scientific model to date for detecting when a person is lying, based on thermography, University of Granada)