oscilloscope

noun

os·​cil·​lo·​scope ä-ˈsi-lə-ˌskōp 

ə-

: an instrument in which the variations in a fluctuating electrical quantity appear temporarily as a visible wave form on a display screen

oscilloscopic

ä-ˌsi-lə-ˈskä-pik  ˌä-sə-lə- 

adjective

Did you know?

In Latin oscillare means "to swing", and our word oscillation usually means "vibration" or "variation", especially in a changing flow of electricity. The oscilloscope basically draws a graph of an electrical signal. Since all kinds of physical phenomena can be converted into an electric voltage, oscilloscopes can be used to measure such things as sound, light, and heat. So an oscilloscope can analyze how one clarinet's sound is different from another's, or how one bulb's light differs from another's. Auto mechanics use oscilloscopes to measure engine vibrations; doctors use them to measure brain waves. Audio technicians use oscilloscopes to diagnose problems in audio equipment; TV and radio technicians use them to diagnose TV and radio problems. But oscilloscopes are most essential today to high-tech electronics experimentation.

Examples of oscilloscope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The company produced cathode ray oscilloscopes, which helped finance his experiments with television. —IEEE Spectrum, 3 July 2025

In the next shot, Oppenheimer watches as Alvarez shows him a series of spiking pulses on an oscilloscope, indicating that fission is indeed taking place. —Alec Nevala-Lee june 11, Literary Hub, 11 June 2025

In the experiment, the pulse was fed into an oscilloscope and its shape examined. —IEEE Spectrum, 4 Feb. 2025

By using an oscilloscope to measure the electromagnetic radiation while the token is authenticating itself, the researchers can detect tiny execution time differences that reveal a token’s ephemeral ECDSA key, also known as a nonce. —Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 3 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for oscilloscope

• electroscope
• heliotrope
• kaleidoscope
• laryngoscope
• ophthalmoscope
• polariscope
• stereoscope
• antelope
• bronchoscope
• cantaloupe
• cystoscope
• endoscope

Kids Definition

oscilloscope

noun

os·​cil·​lo·​scope ä-ˈsil-ə-ˌskōp 

ə-

: an instrument in which the variations in a continually changing electrical quantity appear temporarily as a visible wave form on the screen of a cathode-ray tube

Medical Definition

oscilloscope

noun

os·​cil·​lo·​scope ä-ˈsil-ə-ˌskōp, ə- 

: an instrument in which the variations in a fluctuating electrical quantity appear temporarily as a visible waveform on the fluorescent screen of a cathode-ray tube

called also cathode-ray oscilloscope

oscilloscopic

ä-ˌsil-ə-ˈskäp-ik  ˌäs-ə-lə- 

adjective

oscilloscopically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb