Anemometer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ænɪˈmɒmətə/

Definitions

1. A tool that determines the speed and direction of atmospheric air movement
2. An instrument employed to measure both wind velocity and direction in meteorological studies
3. An instrument used to gauge the velocity of wind in the atmosphere

Etymology: The "anemo-" in this word comes from ancient Greek "anemos", meaning "wind", and it appears in the English name of the anemone flower too, which the Greeks associated with the wind. The second half, "-meter", comes from Greek "metron", meaning "measure", and is the same element found in thermometer and barometer. Put together, the word literally means "wind-measure." The device itself is a plain technical coinage built from those two Greek parts, not a term from classical times, since the ancient Greeks had no such instrument under this name. Its formation follows the same pattern as the other "-meter" instruments that were named in the modern scientific era.