mercury-in-glass clinical thermometer
- noun
- /ˈmɜrkjʊri ɪn ɡlæs ˈklɪnɪkəl θərˈmɑːmɪtər/
- Archaic
:
termómetro clínico de mercurio
- The nurse used a mercury-in-glass clinical thermometer to check the patient's fever.
Examples
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Many hospitals have replaced the mercury-in-glass clinical thermometer with digital alternatives for safety reasons.
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After shaking down the mercury-in-glass clinical thermometer, she placed it under the patient's tongue.
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The mercury-in-glass clinical thermometer is very accurate.
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Do you have a mercury-in-glass clinical thermometer?
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The doctor used a mercury-in-glass clinical thermometer to measure the patient's temperature accurately.
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Many people prefer the mercury-in-glass clinical thermometer because of its precise readings.
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Before taking her temperature, he reminded her to shake the mercury-in-glass clinical thermometer.
Synonyms
74
3.0
A tool that tells you how hot or cold something is
1
4.4
A glass tube with mercury that rises to show temperature
A glass tube containing mercury that rises to show temperature
A small device for measuring a person's body temperature
How Accurate
- Archaic
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
mercury-in-glass + clinical + thermometer
The meaning is directly compositional: a 'thermometer' used in clinical settings that contains 'mercury' enclosed in 'glass' (mercury-in-glass). Each constituent contributes a transparent, literal feature of the object, and similar descriptive compounds exist across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the parts will readily infer the overall meaning.
Etymology
Mercury-in-glass clinical thermometer names a medical thermometer that has liquid mercury inside a thin glass tube. When you put it under the tongue or in the armpit, the heat makes the mercury move up the tube to show the 'body temperature', so the name tells you it uses mercury and glass to 'measure body temperature'.