Oximetric

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. This term pertains to techniques or devices that evaluate the levels of oxygen saturation in the bloodstream or other fluids
2. Relating to the evaluation of oxygen concentration, this word describes methods or instruments used to assess blood oxygen levels
3. This adjective describes measurements or techniques specifically focused on determining oxygen saturation levels in blood or other bodily fluids

Etymology: "Oximetric" is a straightforward formation: it is built from "oximetry" with the adjectival suffix "-ic," so it describes anything relating to oximetry. The suffix "-ic," borrowed through Latin and Greek, attaches to a noun to mean "of, relating to, or characteristic of" that noun, and it is one of the most productive ways English forms technical adjectives. The base word, "oximetry," carries the real content. It combines "oxy-," from the Greek "oxys" meaning "sharp" or "acid" and used in chemistry for oxygen, with the Greek-derived "-metry," meaning measurement, as in "thermometry" or "photometry." Put together, oximetry is the measurement of oxygen levels, and the adjective follows from that: an oximetric technique is one that measures how much oxygen the blood carries.