rocketsonde

[ rok-it-sond ]

noun

, Meteorology.

1. a telemeter for gathering data on the atmosphere at very high altitudes, carried aloft by rocket and returned to earth by parachute.

rocketsonde

/ rŏk′ĭt-sŏnd′ /

1. An instrument transported to the upper atmosphere by rocket, used to study meteorological conditions. A rocketsonde is capable of measuring and transmitting information to altitudes of about 76,000 m (249,280 ft).

Word History and Origins

Origin of rocketsonde¹

First recorded in 1945–50; rocket ¹ + sonde