Horometer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An instrument designed to measure the passage of time, typically used in navigation or scientific experiments to track duration precisely
2. A device employed for timing intervals, often utilized in fields requiring accurate time measurement such as sea voyages or laboratory work
3. A tool that records elapsed time for various purposes, especially in maritime navigation or mechanical timing systems

Etymology: "Horometer" is built from two Greek elements: "hōra", meaning hour or time of day, and "metron", meaning measure. The second element is the familiar one, found in "thermometer", "barometer" and "speedometer", and the pattern is simply that an instrument is named for what it measures. The first element gives the word its sense, so a horometer is literally a measure of hours. Because the word is a transparent combination of Greek parts, its meaning can be read straight off its form. The "horo-" element also appears in "horology", the study of timekeeping and clock-making, which shares the same root and a closely related field of interest.

Synonyms: timekeeper, chronometer, clock, watch