What does colorimeter mean?
A colorimeter is a scientific instrument that measures the intensity of colour in a solution, most often to determine how much of a particular substance is dissolved in it. The principle is simple: the deeper the colour, the greater the concentration, and by comparing a sample against known standards the device yields a precise measurement. Colorimeters are workhorses of analytical laboratories, water-treatment plants, breweries, and medical labs, where they quantify everything from chlorine in swimming pools to glucose in blood. A related use appears in the imaging world, where colorimeters measure and calibrate the colours produced by monitors and printers. The word derives from Latin 'color' (colour) combined with the Greek-derived '-meter' (measuring device), placing it in the same family as the thermometer and barometer. Though rarely encountered outside professional settings, the colorimeter is indispensable wherever colour must be turned into trustworthy numbers.
nounAn instrument used to measure the intensity or concentration of colour in a solution, typically by comparing it with a standard, thereby allowing the concentration of a dissolved substance to be determined.
- An instrument that measures the concentration of a coloured substance in solution by comparing its colour intensity against standards.
- An instrument used in imaging and display industries to measure and characterise colour values on screens or printed output.
"The technician used a colorimeter to determine the chlorine concentration in the pool water."
"Water-quality inspectors rely on a portable colorimeter to test nitrate levels directly at the sampling site."
"Before calibrating the new monitor, she took baseline readings with a colorimeter to record its factory colour output."
Standard plural formation; no irregularities.
"The department ordered three new colorimeters for the teaching laboratory."
The humble colorimeter can detect concentrations so low that the human eye sees nothing but clear liquid — chemistry's quiet lie detector.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of colorimeter
The word 'colorimeter' combines the Latin root 'color', meaning colour, with '-meter', a suffix of Greek origin ('metron', measure) attached to scientific instruments. It emerged in the nineteenth century alongside the rise of quantitative analytical chemistry, when scientists sought reliable ways to convert visual colour comparisons into numerical measurements. Its relatives include other instrument names built on '-meter' such as 'thermometer' and 'barometer', and the derived terms 'colorimetry' and 'colorimetric' describe the science and methods of colour measurement.
Related word forms
How colorimeter is actually used
A technical term used mainly in laboratory, industrial, and scientific contexts; it is not part of everyday conversation. In analytical chemistry it refers specifically to instruments using visible-light filters, while in display calibration it denotes devices measuring screen colour output — context determines which sense applies.
Easily confused with colorimeter
A calorimeter measures heat (calories) released or absorbed during a chemical reaction, whereas a colorimeter measures colour intensity or concentration of coloured substances.
A spectrophotometer measures absorbance or transmittance across a range of wavelengths with high precision, while a colorimeter typically uses fixed filters and measures colour more simply and less precisely.