Science & TechnologyGreek → English
Manometer
/məˈnɒmɪtər/noun
An instrument measuring the pressure of a gas or liquid, classically by the height of a fluid column.
The Greek roots
μανός
manós
thin, rare, loose
μέτρον
métron
measure
Literally: “rarity measure”
The story of the word
Pierre Varignon coined manomètre around 1705 for a device intended to show how rarefied the air had become, which is why the first half means thin rather than pressed. English borrowed it from French in 1730. Its older cousin the barometer is built on báros, weight, and measures the same quantity for a different purpose.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → French → English
- First recorded
- 1730
Same family
barometerthermometermetre
In a sentence
A U-tube manometer full of mercury still beats most digital gauges for a quick sanity check.