Weatherometers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Devices used to measure atmospheric conditions such as temperature, humidity, and pressure
2. Instruments designed for assessing various weather elements to aid forecasting
3. Tools that provide quantitative data on meteorological factors, enhancing weather predictions

Etymology: "Weatherometers" is the plural of "weatherometer", a technical term for an instrument that subjects materials to artificial weather, usually by exposing them to controlled light, heat, moisture and sometimes spray, so that their durability can be tested in a short time. The name is a plain compound: "weather" joined by a linking "-o-" to "-meter", the suffix meaning an instrument for measuring or testing, as in "thermometer" or "barometer". The result is a name that says what the machine does, testing weather, rather than measuring it. The "-o-" in the middle is the usual linking vowel used when joining two elements in scientific and technical coinages, which explains why the word looks like a blend of "weather" and "meter" with an extra syllable between them. Plural forms follow the regular pattern of adding "-s" to the singular.

Synonyms: barometers, anemometers, thermometers, hygrometers, weather gauges