thermometer
A thermometer is an instrument used to measure temperature or a temperature gradient. It is commonly used in medical settings to check for fever or in weather stations to monitor atmospheric conditions.
Examples
3 of 5The mother used a digital thermometer to check if her son had a fever.
The mother used a digital thermometer to check if her son had a fever.
Strict protocol requires that the thermometer be sterilized after every clinical use.
Strict protocol requires that the thermometer be sterilized after every clinical use.
Stick the thermometer in your mouth and don't talk for a minute.
Stick the thermometer in your mouth and don't talk for a minute.
Word Family
Memory Tip
Remember 'Thermo' means heat (like a thermos flask) and 'Meter' means measure. A thermometer measures the heat.
Quick Quiz
Please look at the ___ and tell me what the outdoor temperature is.
Correct!
The correct answer is: a
Examples
The mother used a digital thermometer to check if her son had a fever.
everydayThe mother used a digital thermometer to check if her son had a fever.
Strict protocol requires that the thermometer be sterilized after every clinical use.
formalStrict protocol requires that the thermometer be sterilized after every clinical use.
Stick the thermometer in your mouth and don't talk for a minute.
informalStick the thermometer in your mouth and don't talk for a minute.
Data was collected using a high-precision mercury thermometer to ensure experimental validity.
academicData was collected using a high-precision mercury thermometer to ensure experimental validity.
Our inventory shows a high demand for industrial-grade thermometers in the pharmaceutical sector.
businessOur inventory shows a high demand for industrial-grade thermometers in the pharmaceutical sector.
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
the thermometer is rising
the temperature is increasing
outdoor thermometer
a device to measure outside temperature
meat thermometer
a device to check internal food temperature
Often Confused With
A thermometer measures temperature, whereas a thermostat is a device that controls or regulates temperature.
Usage Notes
The word is almost always used as a noun. While mercury thermometers were the standard for decades, digital and infrared versions are now more common due to safety concerns regarding mercury.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse the spelling by using 'meter' separately or misspelling the prefix as 'thermo-'. In British English, it is sometimes incorrectly spelled 'thermometre' following the 'metre' pattern, but 'thermometer' is the standard globally.
Memory Tip
Remember 'Thermo' means heat (like a thermos flask) and 'Meter' means measure. A thermometer measures the heat.
Word Origin
From the Greek 'therme' (heat) and 'metron' (measure).
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
In many Western countries, the use of mercury thermometers is being phased out in favor of safer digital alternatives.
Quick Quiz
Please look at the ___ and tell me what the outdoor temperature is.
Correct!
The correct answer is: a
Related Vocabulary
A fever is a medical condition in which the body temperature...
CelsiusA scale of temperature measurement where water freezes at 0...
FahrenheitA scale of temperature used primarily in the United States a...
heatHeat refers to the quality of being hot or having a high tem...
temperatureTemperature is the measurement of how hot or cold something...
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