Pitot tube
1
6.8
- noun
- /ˈpiːtoʊ tuːb/
- Specialized
:
tubo de Pitot
- In aviation, the Pitot tube is essential for determining the airspeed of a flying plane.
- replaced the Pitot tube
Examples
-
These are Pitot tube-type instruments that measure the air flowing through them.
Academic text (1999) -
The Pitot tube on the aircraft measures the speed of the air flowing past it.
-
Engineers fitted the Pitot tube to conduct experiments on fluid dynamics.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A tube with an open end facing moving air or water to measure speed
A small tube on a plane that measures air pressure to show the speed of the plane
A device that measures air pressure to show a plane's airspeed
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines 'Pitot' (a device for measuring fluid velocity) with 'tube' (a hollow cylinder), so the meaning 'a tube used to measure the speed or pressure of a moving fluid' is directly derivable from the parts. Although 'Pitot' is a technical eponym that many learners may not know, if a B1 learner knows the constituent meanings the overall sense is compositional and transparent.
Etymology
Pitot tube is named after a French engineer, Henri Pitot, who used a small tube to measure how fast water flowed. The picture is simple: the small tube points into the moving air or water and the pressure it feels shows the 'speed', so today the name means 'a small tube that measures air or fluid speed'.