Geiger counter

noun

1. an instrument for detecting ionizing radiations, consisting of a gas-filled tube in which electric-current pulses are produced when the gas is ionized by radiation, and of a device to register these pulses: used chiefly to measure radioactivity.

Geiger counter

/ ˈɡaɪɡəˈmʊlə /

noun

1. an instrument for detecting and measuring the intensity of ionizing radiation. It consists of a gas-filled tube containing a fine wire anode along the axis of a cylindrical cathode with a potential difference of several hundred volts. Any particle or photon which ionizes any number of gas molecules in the tube causes a discharge which is registered by electronic equipment. The magnitude of the discharge does not depend upon the nature or the energy of the ionizing particle Compare proportional counter

Geiger counter

1. An electronic instrument that detects and measures nuclear radiation, such as x-rays or gamma rays. The Geiger counter consists of a gas-filled tube with a charged electrode connected to a counter. As radiation passes through the gas it ionizes atoms along its path. The ions are attracted to the charged electrode, creating pulses of electric current that are registered by the counter.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Geiger counter¹

First recorded in 1920–25; named after H. Geiger

Word History and Origins

Origin of Geiger counter¹

C20: named after Hans Geiger and W. Müller, 20th-century German physicist

Example Sentences

With Geiger counters in hand to measure local levels of radiation and personal protective gear to guard against radioactive dust, they gathered worms from samples of soil, rotting fruit, and other organic material.

From Science Daily

Prosecutors also say he sent photographs showing "a dark rocky material" with a Geiger counter, which is used to measure levels of radiation.

From BBC

But surrounding the site are reminders of the biggest challenge Japan faces in realizing those ambitions: abandoned buildings, empty lots, roadside Geiger counters — the grim aftermath of one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters.

From Los Angeles Times

For particularly radiation-sensitive steel applications, such as Geiger counter consoles, that fallout poses an obvious problem: it won’t do for a Geiger counter to flag itself.

From Scientific American

Head west into rural Maine with Carolyn Chute, whose debut, “The Beans of Egypt, Maine,” broke the literary Geiger counter in 1985.

From New York Times