Dosimeter

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device that measures the total amount of ionizing radiation an individual has been exposed to while providing safety monitoring information
2. An instrument that quantifies the cumulative exposure of an individual to ionizing radiation over a specific period for safety assessment
3. A tool used to track the total ionizing radiation absorbed by a person for health and safety reasons

Etymology: The dosimeter is a modern coinage built from Greek roots. "Dose" comes from the Greek "dosis," meaning "a giving" or "portion," from "didonai," "to give," and it entered English through French and Latin in the sense of a measured amount of medicine. "-meter" comes from Greek "metron," "measure," and appears in many instrument names such as thermometer and barometer. Put together, the name literally means something like "measurer of a given amount." The compound took shape in the early twentieth century, as physicists and medical researchers developed ways to track radiation absorbed by people working with X-rays and radioactive materials. Early radiation workers were often exposed without knowing it, and the need for a portable way to record accumulated dose grew quickly. The term is therefore a technical coinage, not an ancient word, and its classical parts were assembled to describe a device that had no precedent.

Synonyms: radiation meter