Sphygmomanometer
/ˌsfɪɡ.moʊ.məˈnɑː.mə.tər/noun
An instrument used to measure blood pressure.
Did you know?Its core comes from Greek sphygmós, meaning “pulse,” and manómetron, “pressure-measurer,” so the word is a stitched-together relic of classical science rather than a mystical term.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
σφυγμός (sphygmós)
“pulse; throbbing beat”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μανός (manós) + μέτρον (métron)
“thin, scanty + measure”
Late Greek / Scientific Greek
Greek
μανόμετρον (manómetron)
“pressure gauge; measuring instrument”
19th Century
English
sphygmomanometer
“a device for measuring arterial blood pressure”
Modern English
English
sphygmomanometer
“blood-pressure measuring instrument”