Barometric

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌbæɹəˈmɛtɹɪk/

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the devices or methods that measure atmospheric pressure, this term also relates to changes in pressure and their implications for weather forecasting
2. This adjective describes both the instruments used to monitor air pressure and the effects of pressure variations on meteorological conditions
3. Relating to devices that gauge atmospheric pressure, this term also encompasses the consequences of such pressure fluctuations on climate predictions

Etymology: The word is built from two Greek roots that each had a plain, physical sense. "Baros" meant "weight" (its adjective "barys" meant "heavy"), and "metron" meant "measure," the same root behind "meter." Joined with the adjective ending "-ikos," the combination gave a Greek sense of "pertaining to measuring weight," and the English term follows that pattern: a barometer is literally a weight-measurer. The path to English ran through French. The Greek "metrikos" passed into Latin as "metricus," then into French as "-métrique," and English borrowed the "-metric" ending from that French form. English then attached it to "baro-," the combining form of "baros," giving "barometric" as the adjective matching "barometer." Because the "-metric" ending was already in use with other combining forms, the new word fit naturally into a family of scientific terms. The word's meaning has stayed close to its roots. A barometer measures air pressure, so "barometric" describes that instrument, the pressure it records, and the weather patterns forecasters read from those changes.

Synonyms: pressure-related