altimeter

noun

al·​tim·​e·​ter al-ˈti-mə-tər How to pronounce altimeter (audio) ˈal-tə-ˌmē-tər How to pronounce altimeter (audio)
: an instrument for measuring altitude
especially : an aneroid barometer designed to register changes in atmospheric pressure accompanying changes in altitude
altimetry
al-ˈti-mə-trē How to pronounce altimeter (audio)
noun

Examples of altimeter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Inspectors examine everything from the fuselage to the altimeter. — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 9 June 2026 The Garmin Forerunner 170 has a barometric altimeter, which unlocks counting of stairs climbed per day, as well as a compass and more advanced gyroscope motion sensor. — Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 12 May 2026 According to the report, abnormal radio altimeter alerts and unexpected flight director indications increased the flight crew's workload, continuing to distract them during the aircraft's initial climb. — Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026 This outdoor hybrid smartwatch is equipped with a heart rate sensor, GPS, solar charging, a thermometer, an altimeter, and an accelerometer and gyroscope for swim tracking. — Parker Hall, Wired News, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for altimeter

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, from Latin altus "high" + -i- -i- + New Latin -meter -meter — more at altitude

Note: The word altimeter appears in the word lists of early Latin-English dictionaries, as the 1572 edition of Richard Huloet's dictionary and the 1578 edition of Thomas Cooper's Thesaurus Linguae Romanae et Britannicae (defined as "an instrument wherwith high things are mette"). These entries all appear to derive from versions of Papias' Latin dictionary Elementarium doctrinae rudimentum, composed in the 11th century, but reedited and expanded many times; the 1485 Venice edition enters "altimeter quo metiuntur altitudines - quoddam instrumentum est" ("altimeter by which heights are measured; it is a certain instrument"). Cf. New Latin scala altimetra, with vernacular equivalents, as Middle French eschelle altimetre, applied to the graduated scale of various instruments for measuring angular distance above the horizon. As a word used in the early 20th century for instruments employing barometric pressure to measure altitude, the word may be a recoinage from Latin altus and -meter.

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of altimeter was in 1904

Rhymes for altimeter

See All Rhymes for altimeter

Browse Nearby Words

altilik
altimeter
altimetry
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Altimeter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altimeter. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

altimeter

noun
al·​tim·​e·​ter al-ˈtim-ət-ər How to pronounce altimeter (audio) ˈal-tə-ˌmēt-ər How to pronounce altimeter (audio)
: an instrument for measuring altitude
especially : a barometer that registers changes in atmospheric pressure accompanying changes in altitude

More from Merriam-Webster on altimeter

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about altimeter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of acquisitive

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

More Commonly Mispronounced Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 3
See More

Popular

See More

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All