Voltmeter
/ˈvoʊltˌmiːtər/noun
An instrument used to measure electric potential difference between two points.
Did you know?Voltmeter is a transparent scientific compound coined from the unit volt plus meter, and volt itself was named after Alessandro Volta, so the word quietly preserves the name of the man who helped tame electricity.
Etymological Timeline
Early 19th Century
Italian
Volta
“The surname of Alessandro Volta, the physicist associated with early studies of electricity”
19th Century
French
volt
“A unit of electric potential named in honor of Volta”
19th Century
English
volt
“The standard unit of electric potential difference”
19th Century
English
meter
“An instrument for measuring”
19th Century
English
voltmeter
“An instrument for measuring electric potential difference”