seismograph

1 of 2

noun (1)

seis·​mo·​graph ˈsīz-mə-ˌgraf 

ˈsīs-

: an apparatus to measure and record vibrations within the earth and of the ground

seismographer

sīz-ˈmä-grə-fər 

sīs-

noun

seismographic

ˌsīz-mə-ˈgra-fik 

ˌsīs-

adjective

seismography

sīz-ˈmä-grə-fē 

sīs-

noun

seismography

2 of 2

noun (2)

seis·​mog·​ra·​phy

-fi

plural -es

1

: the description of earthquakes

specifically : the art of registering the shocks and undulatory movements of earthquakes

2

: seismology

Examples of seismograph in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The eruption was recorded on seismographs for more than 16 minutes, Indonesia’s Geological Agency said. — ABC News, 8 May 2026

The first seismographs in the U.S. were installed in 1887 at the Lick Observatory on California’s Mount Hamilton and at the University of California at Berkeley. — Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026

For the former, there are plans to install seismographs to help understand the phenomenon. — Jorge Garay, Wired News, 9 Apr. 2026

On Polymarket’s tab for Bitcoin, a line graph crawls along like a seismograph, showing the price to beat as the total cost fluctuates by hundreds of dollars a second. — Joe Wilkins Published Mar 18, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

International Scientific Vocabulary

Noun (2)

International Scientific Vocabulary seismo- + -graphy

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1858, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for seismograph

• autograph
• biograph
• cenotaph
• chronograph
• epigraph
• epitaph
• hodograph
• holograph
• hydrograph
• lithograph
• micrograph
• monograph

Kids Definition

seismograph

noun

seis·​mo·​graph ˈsīz-mə-ˌgraf 

ˈsīs-

: a device to measure and record vibrations of the earth

seismographic

ˌsīz-mə-ˈgraf-ik 

ˌsīs-

adjective

seismography

sīz-ˈmäg-rə-fē 

sīs-

noun