velocimeter
[ vee-loh-sim-uh-ter, vel-oh- ]
/ ˌvi loʊˈsɪm ə tər, ˌvɛl oʊ- /
noun
any of various instruments for measuring velocity, as of a wave in water or of sound in air.
Origin of velocimeter
First recorded in 1842;
veloci(ty) +
-meter
Words nearby velocimeter
vellum,
vellus,
velma,
velo binding,
veloce,
velocimeter,
velocipede,
velociraptor,
velocity,
velocity head,
velocity microphone
Scientific definitions for velocimeter
velocimeter
[ vē′lō-sĭm′ĭ-tər, vĕl′ō- ]
A device that utilizes the Doppler effect to measure the speed of sound in water. Developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, a velocimeter transmits a pulse of sound through water and measures its echo for changes in either pitch or frequency. Oceanographers employ velocimeters to study the interior structure of breaking waves; they are also used in hydraulic engineering and to study fluid flow.