oscilloscope

[ uh-sil-uh-skohp ]
/ əˈsɪl əˌskoʊp /

noun Electricity.

a device that gives a visual graph of amplitude versus time of a measured signal, as voltage or current.

Origin of oscilloscope

First recorded in 1905–10; oscill(ate) + -o- + -scope

OTHER WORDS FROM oscilloscope

os·cil·lo·scop·ic [uh-sil-uh-skop-ik] /əˌsɪl əˈskɒp ɪk/, adjective os·cil·lo·scop·i·cal·ly, adverb

Example sentences from the Web for oscilloscope

British Dictionary definitions for oscilloscope

oscilloscope
/ (ɒˈsɪləˌskəʊp) /

noun

an instrument for producing a representation of a quantity that rapidly changes with time on the screen of a cathode-ray tube. The changes are converted into electric signals, which are applied to plates in the cathode-ray tube. Changes in the magnitude of the potential across the plates deflect the electron beam and thus produce a trace on the screen

Medical definitions for oscilloscope

oscilloscope
[ ə-sĭlə-skōp′ ]

n.

An electronic instrument that produces an instantaneous trace on the screen that corresponds to oscillations of voltage and current.

Other words from oscilloscope

os•cil′lo•scopic (-skŏpĭk) adj.

Scientific definitions for oscilloscope

oscilloscope
[ ə-sĭlə-skōp′ ]

An electronic instrument used to observe and measure changing electrical signals. The amplitude of the signal as it varies with time is displayed graphically on a screen as a line stretching from left to right, with displacements up and down indicating the amplitude of the signal. Oscilloscopes are used to diagnose problems in electronic signal-processing devises, such as computers or stereos, and to monitor electrical activity in the body, such as that of heartbeats.