Tensiometer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device that measures the surface tension of a liquid by determining the force needed to lift a small object from its surface ; an apparatus that gauges the water potential or tension in soil by detecting the force with which soil particles hold water
2. An instrument that quantifies how strongly the molecules at a liquid's surface resist being pulled apart ; a tool used in soil science to measure how tightly soil retains moisture and the resulting water stress
3. A tool designed to determine the strength of cohesive forces at a liquid's surface by measuring the pull required to separate it ; equipment that assesses the tension or matric potential of water within soil material

Etymology: This instrument's name is a plain technical compound made from two classical parts. "Tension" comes from Latin "tensio," a noun derived from "tendere," meaning "to stretch," so the first half of the name describes the state of being pulled taut. The second half, "-meter," comes from Greek "metron," meaning "measure," and appears in many instrument names such as thermometer and barometer. Because the pattern is so regular, the name has no single coiner or dramatic turning point. Anyone needing a gauge for tautness could assemble it from these familiar parts, and the name reads exactly as its components suggest.

Synonyms: tensometer