Meaning & use
seismometer
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
An instrument that detects and measures the vibrations of the ground caused by earthquakes.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a seismometer' or 'seismometers'.
Patterns
- a seismometer measures something
- install a seismometer
- seismometer data
The seismometer detected tiny vibrations that people could not feel.
Engineers placed a seismometer near the construction site to monitor ground motion.
Data from the seismometer helped scientists calculate the earthquake's magnitude.
Word forms
| plural | seismometers |
|---|
Common combinations
- seismometer reading
- The seismometer reading showed a sudden increase in activity.
- broadband seismometer
- A broadband seismometer can record a wide range of frequencies.
- seismometer network
- The country has a dense seismometer network for early warning.
- deploy a seismometer
- The team will deploy a seismometer on the volcano's slope.
Synonyms and how they differ
- seismograph
- Often used interchangeably, but a seismograph usually includes the recording system, while a seismometer is the sensor itself.
Word family
- seismometry noun
- The technique or science of measuring seismic vibrations.
- seismometric adjective
- Relating to the measurement of ground vibrations.
Commonly confused: seismometer or seismograph?
seismometer vs seismograph
A seismometer is the sensor that detects motion; a seismograph is the complete instrument that records it, though the terms are often used loosely.
Practice
A ______ is used to measure the tiny vibrations of the ground.
Choose one answer.
A seismometer is the measuring instrument; seismology is the study, a seismologist is a person, and a seismogram is the record.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “seismometer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.