sclerometer

[ skli-rom-i-ter ]

noun

1. any instrument for determining with precision the degree of hardness of a substance, especially a mineral, as by measuring the pressure necessary to pierce or scratch it.

sclerometer

/ ˌsklɪərəˈmɛtrɪk; sklɪəˈrɒmɪtə /

noun

1. an instrument that determines the hardness of a mineral or metal by means of a diamond point

Derived Forms

• sclerometric, adjective

Other Words From

• scler·o·met·ric [skleer-, uh, -, me, -trik, skler-], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sclerometer¹

First recorded in 1875–80; sclero- + -meter

Example Sentences

But it wasn't the story so much as the flavour of the book that was so impressive: an SF narrative so hard you'd need a sclerometer to measure it, but written with a sinuous, fin-de-siècle intensity.

From The Guardian

Associated words: mineralogy, mineralogist, mineralize, mineralization, mineralogize, sclerometer, chondrule, paramorphism, geology. mouth, n.

From Project Gutenberg