colorimeter

1 of 2

noun (1)

col·​or·​im·​e·​ter ˌkə-lə-ˈri-mə-tər 

: an instrument or device for determining and specifying colors

specifically : one used for chemical analysis by comparison of a liquid's color with standard colors

colorimetric

ˌkə-lə-rə-ˈme-trik 

adjective

colorimetrically

ˌkə-lə-rə-ˈme-tri-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

colorimetry

ˌkə-lə-ˈri-mə-trē 

noun

colorimetry

2 of 2

noun (2)

col·​or·​im·​e·​try

variants or British colourimetry

ˌkə-lə-ˈri-mə-trē 

plural -es

1

: the science and practice of determining and specifying colors compare colorimeter

2

: quantitative chemical analysis by color comparison (as by a colorimeter)

Examples of colorimeter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Because there’s no compatible software, that colorimeter doesn’t work. — Luke Larsen, Wired News, 25 Sep. 2025

This is, according to my screen-measuring colorimeter, actually the brightness the Paperwhite reaches in its warmest (and least bright) setting. — Andrew Williams, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024

According to our colorimeter, the ROG Strix XG27AQDMG spanned 133% of the sRGB color gamut, 91% of Adobe RGB, and 95% of DCI-P3. — PCMAG, 15 July 2024

Video capture cards, audio preamps, colorimeter hardware, external GPUs, or even printers or scanners that require some kind of driver for advanced functionality—there aren't Arm Windows drivers for most of these things, and there's no way for Microsoft to translate or emulate the problem away. — Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 2 July 2024

The level of acceptability was determined by flavor as well as analysis of chemical reactions detected by colorimeter readings. — Ashton Yoon, Discover Magazine, 17 Feb. 2016

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

borrowed from French colorimètre, from Latin color color entry 1 + -i- -i- + French -mètre -meter

Noun (2)

International Scientific Vocabulary color + -i- + -metry

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1844, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for colorimeter

• calorimeter
• polarimeter
• altimeter
• collimator
• delimiter
• dosimeter
• estimator
• lysimeter
• perimeter
• limiter

Kids Definition

colorimeter

noun

col·​or·​im·​e·​ter ˌkəl-ə-ˈrim-ət-ər 

: a device for determining and specifying colors

especially : one used for chemical analysis by comparison of a liquid's color with standard colors

Medical Definition

colorimeter

noun

col·​or·​im·​e·​ter ˌkəl-ə-ˈrim-ət-ər 

: any of various instruments used to objectively determine the color of a solution

colorimetric

ˌkəl-ə-rə-ˈme-trik 

adjective

colorimetrically

-tri-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

colorimetry

ˌkəl-ə-ˈrim-ə-trē 

noun

plural colorimetries