spirometer

English

A spirometer

Etymology

From Latin spīro (“to breathe”) +‎ -meter.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /spʌɪˈɹɒm.ɪt.ə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /spaɪˈɹɑm.ət.ɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɒmɪtə(ɹ)

Noun

spirometer (plural spirometers)

1. (medicine) An instrument for measuring the air capacity of the lungs.
   • 2000, Michael Roberts, Michael Jonathan Reiss, Grace Monger, Advanced Biology, Nelson, page 170:

     In humans, a spirometer can be used to record and measure lung volumes and oxygen consumption (illustration 1).

   • 2002, H. Nancy Holmes (editorial director), Illustrated Manual of Nursing Practice, Wolters Kluwer Health (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins), 3rd Edition, page 154,

     While all spirometers encourage slow, sustained maximal inspiration, they can be divided into two types: flow incentive and volume incentive.

   • 2005, E. Eber, M. S. Zach, “Spirometry: Volume-Time and Flow-Volume Curves”, in Jürg Hammer, Ernst Eber, editors, Paediatric Pulmonary Function Testing, Karger Publishers, page 95:

     Wet-type spirometers (such as the classical bell spirometer with a water seal) are simple and accurate but are no longer in use as they have a hygiene problem; they are distinguished from dry-type spirometers (e.g., bellows or piston spirometer).

Related terms

• spirometric
• spirometry

 

Translations

medical device

• Catalan: espiròmetre m
• Czech: spirometr m
• Finnish: spirometri (fi)
• French: spiromètre (fr) m
• Galician: espirómetro m
• Greek: σπιρόμετρο (el) n (spirómetro)
• Italian: spirometro m
• Malay: spirometer
• Portuguese: espirómetro m (Portugal), espirômetro m (Brazil)
• Spanish: espirómetro m

See also

• pneumatometer

References

• “spirometer”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “spirometer”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Anagrams

• spirometre, temporiser