Cyanometer
/ˌsaɪ.əˈnɒm.ɪ.tər/noun
An instrument for measuring the blueness of the sky.
Did you know?The cyanometer was famously used by scientists like Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, who treated the sky’s blue as something precise enough to measure, not just admire.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kyanos
“dark blue; deep blue enamel or glass”
Ancient Greek
Greek
metron
“measure”
18th Century
English
cyanometer
“a device for measuring the blueness of the sky”
Modern English
English
cyanometer
“an instrument for comparing or measuring shades of blue”
Explore more surprising origins