Meaning & use
accelerometer
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
a device that measures how quickly something speeds up, slows down, or changes direction
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an accelerometer' or 'two accelerometers'.
Patterns
- an accelerometer in something
- a built-in accelerometer
The phone uses an accelerometer to know when you turn it sideways.
Engineers placed an accelerometer on the bridge to record its movement.
A car's airbag system often relies on an accelerometer to detect a sudden stop.
Word forms
| plural | accelerometers |
|---|
Common combinations
- built-in accelerometer
- Most smartphones have a built-in accelerometer for screen rotation.
- measure acceleration
- The accelerometer measures acceleration in three directions.
- accelerometer data
- The researchers analyzed the accelerometer data to study walking patterns.
- three-axis accelerometer
- A three-axis accelerometer tracks movement along X, Y, and Z axes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- motion sensor
- A broader term for any device that detects movement, while an accelerometer specifically measures acceleration.
Word family
- accelerate verb
- to go faster or make something go faster
- acceleration noun
- the rate at which speed or direction changes
- accelerator noun
- a pedal in a vehicle that makes it go faster, or a machine that speeds up particles
Commonly confused: accelerometer or speedometer?
accelerometer vs speedometer
A speedometer shows how fast you are going, while an accelerometer measures how quickly that speed is changing.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'accelerometer' correctly?
Choose one answer.
An accelerometer measures acceleration (change in speed or direction), so it is used to detect a sudden increase in speed. Option 0 describes a speedometer, option 2 describes a thermometer, and option 3 describes a fuel gauge.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “accelerometer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.