spectroscopy

noun

spec·​tros·​co·​py spek-ˈträ-skə-pē How to pronounce spectroscopy (audio)
1
: the process or technique of using a spectroscope or spectrometer
2
: the production and investigation of spectra

Examples of spectroscopy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Observing in both visible and near-infrared light, Euclid will not only image galaxies but also precisely measure the age of about 30 million of them by picking apart their light in a technique called spectroscopy. Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 30 June 2023 Astronomers had just begun using prisms to investigate spectroscopy, splitting the sun's light into its component colors to study the star's chemical makeup. Rebecca Boyle, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024 This technique, called elastic scattering spectroscopy, allows for a much closer look than what a provider can see with the naked eye. Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 25 Jan. 2024 Imaging and spectroscopy from the spacecraft revealed signs that cryovolcanic eruptions had taken place in the past, such as icy chunks on Pluto’s surface, per New Scientist’s Alex Wilkins. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2023 By using different types of electron microscopy along with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry, the researchers determined what they were made of. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 2 Aug. 2023 Their machine, which uses a technique called Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, is roughly the size of a computer scanner. Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2023 For Biswas, whose background is in laser spectroscopy, the optical communications test is the culmination of an effort a decade in the making. John Johnson Jr., Discover Magazine, 27 Nov. 2023 Not only for quantum physics and spectroscopy, but also for equality and building up historically black colleges like Fisk University. IEEE Spectrum, 15 Apr. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spectroscopy was in 1869

Dictionary Entries Near spectroscopy

Cite this Entry

“Spectroscopy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spectroscopy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

spectroscopy

noun
spec·​tros·​co·​py spek-ˈträs-kə-pē How to pronounce spectroscopy (audio)
plural spectroscopies
1
a
: the production and investigation of spectra
b
: the process or technique of using a spectroscope or spectrometer
2
: physics that deals with the theory and interpretation of interactions between matter and radiation (as electromagnetic radiation)

More from Merriam-Webster on spectroscopy

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