Friday word: Psychrometer

[med_cat]

psy·chrom·e·ter noun \sī-ˈkrä-mə-tər\

Another one of those words that sound like it would mean something else; so no, it doesn't measure how psychotic someone is. :P

Definition

: a hygrometer consisting essentially of two similar thermometers with the bulb of one being kept wet so that the cooling that results from evaporation makes it register a lower temperature than the dry one and with the difference between the readings constituting a measure of the dryness of the atmosphere.

...basically, a way to determine the degree of humidity in the air.

— psy·chro·met·ric adjective
— psy·chrom·e·try noun

Etymology:

From psychro-, derived from Ancient Greek psychros, cold, frozen+ meter, from Ancient Greek metron, to measure.

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use: circa 1741

Here's an illustration:

Comments

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

I feel they've referenced this in Ghost Busters, Star Trek, or both...

[med_cat]

Have they? That's interesting. I don't recall it in Star Trek, not that I know all of Star Trek in detail, of course. And I'm not familiar with Ghost Busters at all.

So if you happen to find the reference, do let me know :)

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

I will! I may have to re-watch the movies I just half-watched from The Next Generation...it's sounding way too familiar. They land on planets and read the atmosphere.

As far as Ghost Busters it sounds like the sort of thing one very well might use to detect minor changes to temperature (as it's often said ghosts make the air cooler).

[med_cat]

Ah I see, makes sense re: both shows then.