seismograph

[ sahyz-muh-graf, -grahf, sahys- ]

noun

1. any of various instruments for measuring and recording the vibrations of earthquakes.

seismograph

/ saɪzˈmɒɡrəfə; ˈsaɪzməˌɡrɑːf; ˌsaɪzməˈɡræfɪk; -ˌɡræf /

noun

1. an instrument that registers and records the features of earthquakes. A seismogram ( ˈsaɪzməˌɡræm ) is the record from such an instrument Also calledseismometer

seismograph

/ sīz′mə-grăf′ /

1. An instrument that detects and records vibrations and movements in the Earth, especially during an earthquake. Most seismographs employ a pendulum mounted within a rigid framework and connected to a mechanical, optical, or electromagnetic recording device. When the Earth vibrates or shakes, inertia keeps the pendulum steady with respect to the movements of the frame, producing a graphic record of the duration and intensity of the Earth's movements. Separate instruments are needed to record the north-south horizontal, east-west horizontal, and vertical components of a tremor. By comparing the records produced by seismographs located in three or more locations across the Earth, the location and strength of an earthquake can be determined.

Derived Forms

• seismographic, adjective
• seisˈmography, noun
• seismographer, noun

Other Words From

• seis·mo·graph·ic [sahyz-m, uh, -, graf, -ik, sahys-], seismo·graphi·cal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of seismograph¹

First recorded in 1855–60; seismo- + -graph

Example Sentences

When a patient is having a seizure, these lines jump up and down dramatically like a seismograph during an earthquake -- a signal that is easy to recognize.

From Science Daily

The technology might bear little resemblance to Palmieri’s electromagnetic seismograph, and his heroics are no longer needed in a world where scientists can monitor volcanoes safely from afar.

From Scientific American

It became the electromagnetic seismograph, the first instrument that measured earthquakes in a way that wasn’t solely mechanical.

From Scientific American

Soon the electromagnetic seismograph made Palmieri famous among global elites.

From Scientific American

To go further back in time, Bromirski gathered data from seismograph records held in UC Berkeley’s archives.

From Los Angeles Times