Gradiometer
/ˌɡreɪ.diˈɒm.ɪ.tər/noun
An instrument used to measure differences or gradients in a physical field, especially gravity or magnetic fields.
Did you know?Gradiometer is a modern scientific compound built from Latin roots meaning “step” and Greek roots meaning “measure,” so its name literally encodes the idea of measuring a change from one level to another.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
gradus
“a step; a degree; a rank”
Late Latin
Latin
-meter
“an instrument for measuring”
Ancient Greek
Greek
metron
“a measure”
Late 19th Century
English
gradiometer
“a device for measuring the difference or gradient between two points in a field”
Modern English
English
gradiometer
“an instrument that measures spatial gradients in gravity, magnetism, or other fields”