dry-bulb thermometer
noun
variants
or dry bulb thermometer
plural dry-bulb thermometers or dry bulb thermometers
: a thermometer that uses a bulb filled with liquid (such as mercury or alcohol) to register a reading of the temperature of the atmosphere based on the known expansion rate of the liquid : a thermometer that measures dry-bulb temperature
The dry-bulb thermometer, as the name would imply is an ordinary mercury thermometer the bulb of which is maintained in a dry state.—
T. Morris Fraser
T. Morris FraserA wet piece of cloth covers the bulb of one, the wet-bulb thermometer, which is cooled by evaporation of water in the cloth. The other thermometer, a dry-bulb thermometer, measures the air temperature. The difference between the two thermometers' readings is used in a mathematical formula to determine the dew point and relative humidity.—The New York Times
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Cite this Entry
“Dry-bulb thermometer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dry-bulb%20thermometer. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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