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phonoscope

phonoscope

9.9
A device that measures how loud a sound is and shows a number
  • noun
  • /ˈfoʊnəˌskoʊp/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fonoscopio
  • Before the concert, technicians adjusted the speakers using a phonoscope for accurate sound levels.

Examples

  • A phonoscope can help monitor noise pollution in busy urban areas.

  • The engineer used a phonoscope to check the loudness of the alarm system.

  • The phonoscope displayed the sound levels accurately.

  • Is this phonoscope new?

  • The engineer used a phonoscope to check the loudness of the alarm system.

  • A phonoscope can help monitor noise pollution in busy urban areas.

  • Before the concert, technicians adjusted the speakers using a phonoscope for accurate sound levels.

Surface Forms

phonoscope singular
phonoscope plural

Morphology

phonoscope = scope (semi-transparent) = phono + scope

The word is clearly built from 'phono-' and 'scope', but the specific sense of measuring loudness is a specialized technical extension rather than a fully literal combination.

Etymology

Phonoscope comes from the parts phono- meaning 'sound', like in phone or microphone, and -scope meaning 'to look' or 'to examine', like in microscope. So a phonoscope is a tool that 'looks at' sound and is used to measure how loud a sound is.