stroboscope

noun

stro·​bo·​scope ˈstrō-bə-ˌskōp 

: an instrument for determining the speed of cyclic motion (such as rotation or vibration) that causes the motion to appear slowed or stopped: such as

a

: a revolving disk with holes around the edge through which an object is viewed

b

: a device that uses a flash tube to intermittently illuminate a moving object

c

: a cardboard disk with marks to be viewed under intermittent light

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Using a stroboscope to generate extremely brief bursts of light, Massachusetts Institute of Technology electrical engineering professor Harold Edgerton photographed this splash made by a drop of milk in 1957. —Scientific American, 18 Apr. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Greek strobos whirling + International Scientific Vocabulary -scope

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above