1
: the science or process of telemetering data
2
: data transmitted by telemetry
3

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Telemetry is used to obtain data on the internal functioning of missiles, rockets, unmanned planes, satellites, and probes, providing data on such factors as position, altitude, and speed as well as conditions like temperature, air pressure, wind speed, and radiation. Weather forecasters rely on telemetry to map weather patterns. Astronauts on the space shuttle are monitored with telemetry that measures and transmits readings on their blood pressure, respiration, and heart rates. Similar kinds of telemetry are used by biologists to study animals in the wild and keep track of their populations and movements. Telemetry is also widely used in modern agriculture, often to regulate irrigation.

Examples of telemetry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Every order—lane, counter, kiosk, app, phone, third-party marketplace, AI voice agent—flows through a single operational layer that understands channel, timing, kitchen capacity, payment state, device telemetry and failure recovery. Peter Kellis, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026 Similarly, Extron, Utelogy, and Xyte can bring Spot telemetry into broader device-management dashboards, offering IT teams a single, unified view of room usage, environmental conditions, and equipment status. New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026 As rain blinds the sailors, the coach watches a bird’s-eye digital tracking map, dynamic laylines, and a live stream of over 1,200 telemetry points broadcast from the boat every second. Andrew Rice, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 The company says the approach reduces cabinet wiring, installation time, infrastructure complexity, and hardware costs while providing high-resolution telemetry throughout the battery cabinet. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for telemetry

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of telemetry was in 1865

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Cite this Entry

“Telemetry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telemetry. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

telemetry

noun
1
: the process of transmitting data by telemeter
2
: data transmitted by telemetry

Medical Definition

telemetry

noun
plural telemetries
1
: the science or process of telemetering data
2
: data transmitted by telemetry
3

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