Volumetry

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The practice of determining the volume of substances for analysis
2. A method utilized in scientific research to evaluate the spatial capacity of materials
3. The process of calculating the amount of space occupied by a substance often used in laboratory or industrial settings

Etymology: "Volumetry" is a blend of "volume" and "-metry," the suffix found in words for measuring processes, as in "geometry" or "thermometry." The fusion is transparent: "volume," from Latin "volumen" (a roll or scroll, from "volvere," to roll), joins a combining form meaning the measurement of something, producing a term for measuring how much space a thing occupies. The "-metry" element comes from Greek "metron," meaning measure, and it has been widely used in English to name scientific measurement techniques. Because "volumetry" is a modern blend built from these parts, its meaning follows directly from them: the measuring of volume, applied in research to the spatial capacity of materials.