Definition of tachometer
: a device for indicating speed of rotation
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Recent Examples of tachometer from the Web
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The L’Equip might put the tacky in tachometer, but as a blender the specs look pretty good: 900 watt motor, variable speed dial, 1.75 liter (3.7 pint) jug (sadly plastic, not glass) and a six-year warrantee.
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Did You Know?
A tachometer is literally a "speed-measurer", since the Greek root tach- means "speed". This is clear in the names of the tachyon, a particle of matter that travels faster than the speed of light (if it actually exists, it's so fast that it's impossible to see with any instrument), and tachycardia, a medical condition in which the heart races uncontrollably. Since the speed that an auto tachometer measures is speed of rotation of the crankshaft, the numbers it reports are revolutions per minute, or rpm's.
Origin and Etymology of tachometer
Greek tachos speed + English -meter
First Known Use: 1810
TACHOMETER Defined for English Language Learners
tachometer
playDefinition of tachometer for English Language Learners
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: a device that measures how fast something (such as a wheel) is turning
Learn More about tachometer
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See words that rhyme with tachometer Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tachometer
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