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

In the Santa Clara Valley, the thermometer is expected to reach 90 by Friday. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 27 July 2026

Add steaks; cook, turning once, until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 130°F for medium-rare, 4 to 5 minutes per side. — Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 26 July 2026

The lore behind 134 feet The $750,000 thermometer rose in 1991, collapsed in a sandstorm shortly after and was resurrected in 1992. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026

Use an inexpensive thermometer to measure temperatures in the rooms where people actually sleep or spend their time. — Destenie Nock, The Conversation, 22 July 2026

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
• chronometer
• geometer
• hydrometer
• hygrometer
• kilometer
• micrometer
• odometer
• photometer
• psychrometer
• pycnometer
• pyrometer

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