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

While the price might seem steep for a meat thermometer, it's built to last, easy to clean and versatile enough that the whole family can get some use out of it. —K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 3 June 2025

Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally and skimming foam off top, until peaches are translucent and a candy thermometer registers 220°F, 20 to 30 minutes. —Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 2 June 2025

As the Bay Area’s first heat wave of 2025 began to crank up the thermometer on Thursday, the Bay Area Air District responded in a familiar way by issuing the season’s first Spare the Air alert. —Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 29 May 2025

Place the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat and read the temperature after 10 to 20 seconds. —Mike Snider, USA Today, 25 May 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