spec·trom·e·ter
spek-ˈträ-mə-tər 
1
: an instrument used for measuring wavelengths of light spectra
2
: any of various analytical instruments in which an emission (as of particles or radiation) is dispersed according to some property (such as mass or energy) of the emission and the amount of dispersion is measured
nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer
spec·trom·e·try
spekˈträmə‧trē
-ri
plural -es
: the art or process of using the spectrometer or of measuring wavelengths of rays of a spectrum
Examples of spectrometer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
Using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer, for example, the spectral biosignatures of carbon dioxide and methane may overlap, leading to the gasses being confused with each other and signs of life being dismissed or lost.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 1 June 2026
To catch the faint signals of early-stage tumors, doctors required huge apparatus packed with complex optical paths, expensive spectrometers, and sensitive prisms.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 May 2026
Psyche’s magnetometer may have detected a signature of the solar wind interacting with Mars’ upper atmosphere or its remnant magnetic field, and its spectrometers were tuned to measure the chemical composition of the Martian surface underneath the spacecraft’s flight path.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for spectrometer
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Noun
Flying is the company’s second Nova-C lander named Athena featuring NASA’s PRIME-1 drill, to land a drill and mass spectrometer near the south pole of the moon in order to demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and measure the volatile content of subsurface samples.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
Using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer, for example, the spectral biosignatures of carbon dioxide and methane may overlap, leading to the gasses being confused with each other and signs of life being dismissed or lost.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 1 June 2026
To catch the faint signals of early-stage tumors, doctors required huge apparatus packed with complex optical paths, expensive spectrometers, and sensitive prisms.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 May 2026
Psyche’s magnetometer may have detected a signature of the solar wind interacting with Mars’ upper atmosphere or its remnant magnetic field, and its spectrometers were tuned to measure the chemical composition of the Martian surface underneath the spacecraft’s flight path.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for spectrometer
Cite this Entry
“Spectrometer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spectrometer. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spectrometer
noun
spec·trom·e·ter
spek-ˈträm-ət-ər
1
: an instrument for producing a spectrum
2
: an instrument that spreads particles or radiation into an ordered sequence (as by mass or energy)
Medical Definition
spectrometer
noun
spec·trom·e·ter
spek-ˈträm-ət-ər
1
: an instrument used for measuring wavelengths of light spectra
2
: any of various analytical instruments in which an emission (as of particles or radiation) is dispersed according to some property (as mass or energy) of the emission and the amount of dispersion is measured
nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer
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