micrometer

1 of 2

noun (1)

mi·​crom·​e·​ter mī-ˈkrä-mə-tər How to pronounce micrometer (audio)
1
: an instrument used with a telescope or microscope for measuring minute distances
2
: a caliper for making precise measurements that has a spindle moved by a finely threaded screw

Illustration of micrometer

Illustration of micrometer
  • micrometer 2

micrometer

2 of 2

noun (2)

mi·​cro·​me·​ter ˈmī-krō-ˌmē-tər How to pronounce micrometer (audio)
: a unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter

called also micron

see Metric System Table

Examples of micrometer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Penn State researchers addressed this by making their hydrogels extremely thin, only 20 micrometers per layer, allowing more power generation without external supports. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026 But the commercially-available 400 x 400-micrometer unit inside the MIT design is bioresorbable, with a zinc-cellulose antenna that humans can digest. New Atlas, 28 Jan. 2026 Each has been thinned down to tens of micrometers and is shot through with vertical connections. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Jan. 2026 The worsening air quality is driven by excessive PM2.5, fine particulate matter up to 2.5 micrometers in diameter, which can often come from sources like power plants, industrial processes, vehicle emissions, woodstoves, and wildfires. Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for micrometer

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

French micromètre, from micr- + -mètre -meter

Noun (2)

International Scientific Vocabulary micr- + meter entry 3

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of micrometer was in 1670

Cite this Entry

“Micrometer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/micrometer. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

micrometer

1 of 2 noun
mi·​crom·​e·​ter mī-ˈkräm-ət-ər How to pronounce micrometer (audio)
1
: an instrument used with a telescope or microscope for measuring very small distances
2
micrometry
-ˈkräm-ə-trē
noun

micrometer

2 of 2 noun
mi·​cro·​me·​ter ˈmī-krō-ˌmēt-ər How to pronounce micrometer (audio)
: a unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter

Medical Definition

micrometer

1 of 2 noun
mi·​crom·​e·​ter mī-ˈkräm-ət-ər How to pronounce micrometer (audio)
: an instrument used with a telescope or microscope for measuring minute distances

micrometer

2 of 2 noun
mi·​cro·​me·​ter
variants or chiefly British micrometre
: micron

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