Electrometric

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to the measurement of electrical potential, voltage, or charge using specialized instruments
2. Of or pertaining to devices and methods that measure electrical potential difference or electric charge
3. Concerning the measurement of electrical properties such as voltage or electrostatic charge

Etymology: "Electrometric" is a straightforward compound, built from "electro-", a combining form drawn from "electric," and "-metric," meaning relating to measurement. Together they describe something concerned with measuring electricity or electrical quantities. The first half traces back to the ancient Greek "ēlektron," meaning amber, because rubbing amber with cloth produces a static charge that attracts light objects. That observation gave English the word "electric," and the prefix "electro-" later became a standard way to form technical terms in physics and chemistry. The second half, "-metric," comes from the Greek "metron," meaning measure, and it appears in many scientific compounds, such as "thermometric" or "photometric." Put together, "electrometric" is a transparent technical coinage that follows the pattern of these older measuring terms.