Ombrometer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device that measures the net amount of solar radiation absorbed by a particular surface
2. An apparatus used to record the balance between incoming and outgoing solar energy at a given point
3. An instrument designed to quantify the solar energy absorbed by surfaces, often used in environmental studies

Etymology: Ombrometer is a compound built from two Greek-derived parts. The first, "ombro-", comes from the Greek "ombros", meaning rain or a rain shower, and the second, "-meter", comes from the Greek "metron", meaning measure. Put together, the name literally means a rain-measure, which is a fitting description of an instrument used to gauge rainfall. The meaning given for this word here, an instrument for quantifying solar energy absorbed by surfaces, does not match the name. An instrument measuring rain would be called an ombrometer, and that is the sense the "ombro-" element points to. Readers encountering the term should check which sense a given source intends, since the two are quite different instruments.