spectrometer
noun
\
Definition of spectrometer
1 : an instrument used for measuring wavelengths of light spectra
2 : any of various analytical instruments in which an emission (as of particles or radiation) is dispersed according to some property (such as mass or energy) of the emission and the amount of dispersion is measured nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from spectrometer
\
adjective
\
noun
Examples of spectrometer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, the mass spectrometer, or MASPEX instrument, will scour the space above Europa for methane, water, ammonia, carbon monoxide, molecular nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and low-order organic compounds. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "A congressman’s loss clouds the future of two demanding missions to Europa," 3 Dec. 2018 The conveyor passed under a device, called a spectrometer, that determines moisture content by beaming light onto the snacks and measuring what is reflected back. — Mike Cherney, WSJ, "Your Snack’s Crunch Is Cloud-Verified," 24 Nov. 2018 Bavarian space fans are proud of the NIRSpec, a near-infrared spectrometer that helps NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope detect the weakest radiation from galaxies. — Sonja Peteranderl, The Verge, "Bavaria’s space program shot to viral fame — but it may be in trouble," 20 Oct. 2018 The lander was carrying four experiments: the MASCAM camera and a radiometer, both made by the DLR; a magnetometer built by the Technical University of Braunschweig; and an infrared spectrometer made by the French space agency, CNES. — Megan Gannon, Space.com, "'Crazy' Rocky Surface of Asteroid Ryugu Revealed in MASCOT Lander Images," 13 Oct. 2018 The spacecraft has two spectrometers that will be analyzing the exosphere. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "4 More Hurdles the LADEE Moon Mission Must Clear," 9 Sep. 2013 The rover known as Jade Rabbit operated for more than two years, and allowed researchers to investigate the moon’s surface remotely using spectrometers, and discover a new type of basaltic rock. — Mike Ives, New York Times, "As America Looks Inward, China Looks to Outer Space," 23 May 2018 Those machines, called gas-chromatography mass-spectrometers or GC-MS, can analyze the air to discover thousands of different molecules known as volatile organic compounds. — Andrea Soltoggio, Smithsonian, "Artificial Intelligence May Be Able To Smell Illnesses in Human Breath," 12 June 2018 The primary instrument on the Viking landers, a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer, used heat to try and find these molecules. — Ashley May, USA TODAY, "NASA may have burned best proof of life on Mars by accident over 40 years ago," 12 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spectrometer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for spectrometer
spectrometer
noun
\
Medical Definition of spectrometer
1 : an instrument used for measuring wavelengths of light spectra
2 : any of various analytical instruments in which an emission (as of particles or radiation) is dispersed according to some property (as mass or energy) of the emission and the amount of dispersion is measured nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer
Other Words from spectrometer
\
adjective
\
noun,
plural spectrometries
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on spectrometer
What made you want to look up spectrometer? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Find the Cousins
-
- Which pair shares a common word ancestor?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share spectrometer
Resources for spectrometer