polarimeter

noun

po·lar·im·e·ter ˌpō-lə-ˈri-mə-tər

: an instrument for determining the amount of polarization of light or the proportion of polarized light in a partially polarized ray

: a polariscope for measuring the amount of rotation of the plane of polarization especially by liquids

polarimetric

pō-ˌler-ə-ˈme-trik

pō-ˌla-rə-ˈme-trik

adjective

polarimetry

ˌpō-lə-ˈri-mə-trē

noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web So astronomers used the VLT to stare at LAB-1 for 15 hours, using a polarimeter (a device for measuring polarized light). —

Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 18 Aug. 2011 Researchers have demonstrated optical devices such as spectrometers and polarimeters made from stacks of these flat surfaces. —

Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'polarimeter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.