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barometer

American  
[buh-rom-i-ter] / bəˈrɒm ɪ tər /

noun

  1. Meteorology. any instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.

  2. anything that indicates changes.

barometer British  
/ ˌbærəˈmɛtrɪk, bəˈrɒmɪtə /

noun

  1. an instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure, usually to determine altitude or weather changes

  2. anything that shows change or impending change

    the barometer of social change
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
barometer Scientific  
/ bə-rŏm′ĭ-tər /

  1. An instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure. Barometers are used in determining height above sea level and in forecasting the weather. The two primary types of barometers are the aneroid and the mercury barometer.

barometer Cultural  

  1. An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure.

Discover More

In general, when the barometer falls in response to a drop in pressure, bad weather is approaching; when the barometer rises because of an increase in pressure, good weather will follow.

Other Word Forms

  • barometric adjective
  • barometrical adjective
  • barometrically adverb
  • barometry noun

Etymology

Origin of barometer

First recorded in 1655–65; baro- + -meter

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.