Barometer
/bəˈrɒm.ɪ.tər/noun
An instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure.
Did you know?The word was coined in the 17th century, when scientists were turning measurement itself into a kind of power: naming the pressure of the sky gave humans a new way to predict storms and control uncertainty.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
baros
“weight, heaviness”
Ancient Greek
Greek
metron
“measure”
Late 17th Century
French
baromètre
“an instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure”
Late 17th Century
English
barometer
“an instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure”
Modern English
English
barometer
“an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure”