thermometer

noun

ther·​mom·​e·​ter thər-ˈmä-mə-tər 

thə-ˈmä-mə-tər

plural thermometers

: an instrument for determining temperature

specifically : one consisting of a sensor housed in a metal probe that registers a change in electrical resistance as a change in temperature

thermometric

ˌthər-mə-ˈme-trik 

adjective

thermometrically

ˌthər-mə-ˈme-tri-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of thermometer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Part of that is its smart integration with our existing products, including the IQ Sense, the number one wireless thermometer in the country. —David Hochman, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025

Turn and grill until chicken registers 160 degrees in thickest part using an instant read thermometer, about 4 to 5 minutes. —Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2025

Quick Track #5, at 801 E. Allen Ave., was closed due to various health hazards including no thermometer inside a refrigerator; rodent droppings under a microwave, inside cabinets and on shelves; inadequate hand-cleaning supplies and a dirty hand sink and toilet. —Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Aug. 2025

The thermometer initially read that the air in our room was 82.9 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 percent humidity (this was during the Midwest’s July heat dome). —Clint Davis, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French thermomètre, from Greek thermē heat + French -o- + -mètre -meter — more at therm

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing thermometer

• clinical thermometer
• dry bulb thermometer
• forehead thermometer
• temporal artery thermometer
• temporal thermometer

Rhymes for thermometer

• barometer
• bolometer
• chronometer
• geometer
• hydrometer
• hygrometer
• kilometer
• micrometer
• odometer
• photometer
• psychrometer
• pycnometer

Kids Definition

thermometer

noun

ther·​mom·​e·​ter thə(r)-ˈmäm-ət-ər 

: an instrument for measuring temperature

thermometric

ˌthər-mə-ˈme-trik 

adjective

Medical Definition

thermometer

noun

ther·​mom·​e·​ter thə(r)-ˈmäm-ət-ər 

: an instrument for determining temperature that usually consists either of a device providing a digital readout or of a glass bulb attached to a fine tube of glass with a numbered scale and containing a liquid (as mercury or colored alcohol) that is sealed in and rises and falls with changes of temperature