interferometer
noun
in·ter·fer·om·e·ter
ˌin-tər-fə-ˈrä-mə-tər 
ˌin-tə-,
-ˌfi-ˈrä-
: an apparatus that utilizes the interference of waves (as of light) for precise determinations (as of distance or wavelength)
Examples of interferometer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Optical interferometers were invented more than a century ago, but orchestrating and combining signals from multiple telescopes across long baselines has proved much harder to accomplish with visible light compared to the relative ease of working in radio waves.
—
K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 27 May 2026
Their sculptures enlist quantum interferometers—an apparatus of mirrors and lasers—as well as holograms to show that our culture’s insistence on independence is misguided and wrong on the most fundamental scale.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 May 2026
The findings are courtesy of the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) array, which is an optical interferometer that combines the light of six telescopes on Mount Wilson in California.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 Dec. 2025
Scientists in Wales have built the world’s most sensitive table-top interferometer, which is a miniature, ultra-precise instrument capable of measuring distortions in space-time smaller than a trillionth of a human hair.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
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K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 27 May 2026
Their sculptures enlist quantum interferometers—an apparatus of mirrors and lasers—as well as holograms to show that our culture’s insistence on independence is misguided and wrong on the most fundamental scale.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 May 2026
The findings are courtesy of the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) array, which is an optical interferometer that combines the light of six telescopes on Mount Wilson in California.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 Dec. 2025
Scientists in Wales have built the world’s most sensitive table-top interferometer, which is a miniature, ultra-precise instrument capable of measuring distortions in space-time smaller than a trillionth of a human hair.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for interferometer
Cite this Entry
“Interferometer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interferometer. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
interferometer
noun
in·ter·fer·om·e·ter
ˌint-ə(r)-fə-ˈräm-ət-ər
-ˌfir-ˈäm-
: an instrument that uses the interference of waves (as of light) for making exact measurements (as of wavelength)
Medical Definition
interferometer
noun
in·ter·fer·om·e·ter
ˌint-ə(r)-fə-ˈräm-ət-ər, -ˌfir-ˈäm-
: an instrument that utilizes the interference of waves (as of light) for precise determination especially of wavelength, spectral fine structure, indices of refraction, and very small linear displacements
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