Pitot tube

[ pee-toh, pee-toh ]

noun

1. (often lowercase) an instrument for measuring fluid velocity, consisting of a narrow tube, one end of which is open and faces upstream, the other end being connected to a manometer.

Pitot tube

/ ˈpiːtəʊ /

noun

1. a small tube placed in a fluid with its open end upstream and the other end connected to a manometer. It measures the total pressure of the fluid
2. short for Pitot-static tube, esp one fitted to an aircraft

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pitot tube¹

1880–85; named after Henri Pitot (1695–1771), French physicist, who invented it

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pitot tube¹

C18: named after its inventor, Henri Pitot (1695–1771), French physicist

Example Sentences

I joined her under the left wing, where she gingerly patted the Pitot tube, a bent finger-shaped object that determines airspeed by measuring air pressure through a pinprick hole.

From Washington Post