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Glite Dictionary
altimeter

altimeter

8 6.7
A device that shows how high you are above the ground or sea
  • noun
  • /ælˈtɪmɪtər/
  • Specialized
: altímetro
  • altimeter data

His compass heading, his altimeter, all of it.

Examples

  • The altimeter reads 3,000 feet as the plane begins to level out.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • The altimeter dropped steadily, swinging counter-clockwise through five thousand feet, then four, three, two...

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Ecker checks the altimeter: 150 feet.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • The Falcon was skimming the ground now, the altimeter reading them as just under fifty meters up.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The programmed altitude of 1,000 feet was measured by an air pressure-based altimeter and periodically corrected with GPS measurements.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The pilot checked the altimeter to ensure they were flying at the correct height above sea level.

  • Before landing, the aircraft's altimeter indicated that they were 2,000 feet above the ground.

  • Using the altimeter, the hiker measured their elevation as they climbed higher into the mountains.

Antonyms

depth gauge
  • Specialized
1 5.9

A tool for measuring how deep holes or grooves are

Surface Forms

altimeter singular
altimeters plural

Morphology

altimeter = altitude (semi-transparent) = alti + meter

The word is readily interpretable as an instrument for measuring altitude, but it uses a specialized combining form and technical suffix.

Etymology

Altimeter breaks into two clear parts: alt- comes from a word meaning 'high', which you can see in altitude, and -meter means 'measure', like in thermometer. So an altimeter is an instrument that measures how high you are.