pitot tube

noun

pi·​tot tube ˈpē-ˌtō- How to pronounce pitot tube (audio)
often capitalized P
1
: a device that consists of a tube having a short right-angled bend which is placed vertically in a moving body of fluid (such as air) with the mouth of the bent part directed upstream and that is used with a manometer to measure the velocity of fluid flow
2
: pitot-static tube

Examples of pitot tube in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Problems with pitot tubes had affected Airbus aircraft in the past, but the company had not corrected the problem. — Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, 17 Apr. 2023 The angle-of-attack sensors look like wind vanes, whereas the pitot tubes look like, well, tubes. — IEEE Spectrum, 18 Apr. 2019

Word History

Etymology

French (tube de) Pitot, from Henri Pitot †1771 French physicist

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pitot tube was in 1852

Rhymes for pitot tube

See All Rhymes for pitot tube

Browse Nearby Words

pitot-static tube
pitot tube
pit-pair
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pitot tube.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pitot%20tube. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

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Medical Definition

pitot tube

noun
pi·​tot tube ˌpē-ˌtō- How to pronounce pitot tube (audio)
often capitalized P
: a device that consists of a tube having a short right-angled bend which is placed vertically in a moving body of fluid with the mouth of the bent part directed upstream and that is used with a manometer to measure the velocity of fluid flow (as in a blood vessel)

More from Merriam-Webster on pitot tube

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pitot tube

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