sounding
3
6.5
- noun
- /ˈsaʊndɪŋ/
- Specialized
:
sondeo
- A leadsman would throw the lead into the water in the direction that the ship was moving and yell, "Casting the lead." When the line touched bottom, the leadsman would yell, "By the lead fathoms." If the bottom was not reached, the sounding was simply, "No bottom at fathoms." The ship's officer would compare the soundings to his nautical chart to ensure the ship was in safe waters.
- take soundings
- depth soundings
- make soundings
Examples
-
"Soundings—constant," he ordered several crewmen, who took a weighted line to the bow and began to measure the depth of the water.
Fiction book (1992) -
Such soundings may seem to offer hope for the resolution of Korea's protracted conflict.
Academic text (1992) -
His assistant is out there with Mr. Campbell, making some soundings on the lake.
-
Water companies make regular "soundings" during late-night hours to try to estimate these system flows.
Academic text (2003) -
Electromagnetic soundings indicate we've only got a few inches of rock left before we reach the main chamber.
Fiction book (1994) -
At a scale of 200 feet per inch, the map shows Savannah's squares, blocks, surrounding country, and recent river soundings in great detail.
Academic text (2011) -
He took part in the deep-sea soundings that were essential to understanding the environment in which a cable would have to survive.
Academic text (2011) -
Soundings to a depth of 3,100 meters showed the Gulf Stream still very warm.
Blog text (18) -
The information remains classified for years, but in 1977, geologist Bruce Heezen and cartographer Marie Tharpe combine the World war II echo-soundings with new data and create the first map of the world's seafloor.
-
During the boat trip, we took soundings to determine how deep the water was.
Synonyms
79
4.0
A device that uses sound to find objects under water
11
7.9
A device that measures water depth by sending sound and listening for its return
1
5.3
A device that measures water depth by sending sound and timing the echo
1
9.9
A device that uses sound waves to measure the depth of water
1
5.0
A device that shows how deep the water is
A way to find water depth and underwater objects by sending sound and measuring its return time
A device that uses sound waves to measure how deep water or things under it are
A tool that measures how deep water is, for example in the sea or a lake
Compounds
- Specialized
1
6.1
A thin board inside an instrument that vibrates to make the sound louder
- Specialized
A way to find water depth and underwater objects by sending sound and measuring its return time
Appearing to have the quality described by the word before it, often only in appearance
- Specialized
A small rocket that carries scientific instruments high into the atmosphere to collect data
How Deep
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Sounding: The word sounding comes from an old use of sound that meant a stretch of water, as in Long Island Sound. Sailors 'sounded' by lowering a rope or line to 'find the depth', so a sounding is a measurement of how deep the water is.