radiosonde

noun

ra·dio·sonde ˈrā-dē-ō-ˌsänd

plural radiosondes

: a miniature radio transmitter that is carried aloft (as by an unpiloted balloon) with instruments for sensing and broadcasting atmospheric conditions

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The radiosonde measures pressure, temperature and relative humidity during its flight. —

Leah Vredenbregt, ABC News, 13 Feb. 2023 Often enough, someone finds one of the National Weather Service’s radiosondes on the ground, along with its bright-orange parachute. —

Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2023 These devices, called radiosondes, only weigh about a pound and often include instructions on how to mail them back to the Weather Service, if they’re found by a passerby. —

Hiawatha Bray, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Feb. 2023 Usually, a complex device inside them, called a radiosonde, parachutes down to Earth. —

Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2023 The scientific instrument — called a radiosonde — that ascends attached to a weather balloon parachutes back to the ground once the mission is complete, according to the National Weather Service. —

Jackie Wattles, CNN, 14 Feb. 2023 Each radiosonde also has a mailing bag and instructions on how to return it. —

Leah Vredenbregt, ABC News, 13 Feb. 2023 The radiosonde hit the ground multiple times, but somehow did not fail. —

Pedram Javaheri, CNN, 14 Jan. 2021 But fewer than 200 radiosondes are launched each day. —

New York Times, 11 Apr. 2020 See More

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