thermometer

noun

ther·​mom·​e·​ter thər-ˈmä-mə-tər How to pronounce thermometer (audio)
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 adjective
thermometrically adverb

Examples of thermometer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Playing there in October, Nadal, Świątek and their foes had to reckon with brisk winds, gray skies and plummeting thermometers. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 It's loaded with great tools like a stethoscope, a blood pressure cuff, a syringe, a rolling thermometer and more. Nora Colomer May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025 Lack of accurate thermometers in all refrigeration/freezer units storing TCS food. Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025 The temperature is the actual air reading — what a thermometer records in the shade. Brandi D. Addison, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for thermometer

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of thermometer was in 1633

Cite this Entry

“Thermometer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thermometer. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

thermometer

noun
ther·​mom·​e·​ter thə(r)-ˈmäm-ət-ər How to pronounce thermometer (audio)
: an instrument for measuring temperature
thermometric adjective

Medical Definition

thermometer

noun
ther·​mom·​e·​ter thə(r)-ˈmäm-ət-ər How to pronounce thermometer (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on thermometer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!