What does thermometrical mean?
Thermometrical is a formal adjective relating to thermometers, thermometry, or the precise measurement of temperature. It can describe readings, observations, scales, and other features of temperature measurement, emphasizing the use of an instrument rather than temperature alone. The word appears especially in scientific, medical, meteorological, and historical writing, where detailed and repeatable measurements are important. In contemporary usage, the shorter and more familiar “thermometric” is generally preferred, while “thermometrical” survives in older texts and specialized contexts. Its value lies in making explicit the connection between a measured quantity and the thermometer or thermometric process used to determine it. The term should not be used to mean merely hot or cold unless temperature measurement is specifically involved.
adjectiveRelating to a thermometer, thermometry, or the measurement of temperature.
- Relating to a thermometer, thermometry, or the measurement of temperature.
"The physician kept a thermometrical record of the patient's fever."
"The physician kept a thermometrical record of the patient's fever."
"The thermometrical scale allowed readings from several instruments to be compared."
Early thermometers made temperature measurable; “thermometrical” names the precise science that grew around them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does thermometrical come from?
The adjective was formed on “thermometer” with the Latinate suffix “-al.” Its underlying vocabulary comes from Greek thermē, meaning “heat,” and metron, meaning “measure,” through the English word “thermometer.” Related forms such as “thermometry,” “thermoscope,” and “thermocouple” share this thermal-measurement origin.
Related word forms
How thermometrical is actually used
Formal, technical, and now somewhat dated; modern technical writing more often uses “thermometric.”
Easily confused with thermometrical
A thermometer is the instrument used to measure temperature, whereas thermometrical is an adjective describing measurements, scales, or anything else connected with a thermometer.