Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
pelvimeter

pelvimeter

9.5
A tool doctors use to measure the size of a woman's pelvis before birth
  • noun
  • /ˈpɛl.vɪˌmiː.tər/
  • Specialized
: pelvimetro
  • The obstetrician used a pelvimeter to assess the patient's pelvic dimensions before delivery.

Examples

  • A pelvimeter is an essential tool for evaluating the birth canal during pregnancy.

  • Older models of the pelvimeter were made of metal, but modern versions are often plastic.

  • The doctor used a pelvimeter during the examination.

  • Can you pass me the pelvimeter?

  • The obstetrician used a pelvimeter to assess the patient's pelvic dimensions before delivery.

  • A pelvimeter is an essential tool for evaluating the birth canal during pregnancy.

  • Older models of the pelvimeter were made of metal, but modern versions are often plastic.

Surface Forms

pelvimeter singular
pelvimeters plural

Morphology

pelvimeter = pelvis (semi-transparent) = pelvi + meter

The meaning is broadly compositional as a device for measuring the pelvis, but the combining form pelvi- and the medical register make it less immediately transparent for average learners.

Etymology

The word pelvimeter comes from the Latin word pelvis, meaning 'basin', and the ending -meter, meaning 'measure', the same -meter you see in thermometer. So a pelvimeter is a tool for measuring the pelvis, which is why doctors use it in childbirth.