| accelerometer |
an instrument that measures acceleration. |
| ammeter |
an instrument that measures the magnitude of an electrical current in amperes. |
| anemometer |
an instrument that measures the speed and force of the wind. |
| assize |
a law regulating weights and measures and the weights and prices of consumer goods, or the standards established by such law. [1/4 definitions] |
| audiometer |
an instrument that measures range and degree of hearing ability. |
| barometer |
a meteorological instrument that measures atmospheric pressure, esp. used to predict weather changes. [1/2 definitions] |
| Bureau of Labor Statistics |
a research agency of the U.S. Department of Labor that collects and compiles statistical information, providing such measures as Consumer Price Index, inflation rate, and unemployment rate. |
| Civil Rights Movement |
a movement in the United States particularly prominent during the 1950s and 1960s that sought to end racial discrimination, legal segregation of blacks and whites, and racial barriers to voting. The movement was led by black leaders such as Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, and James Farmer. It mobilized tens of thousands of African Americans in protest against existing laws and practices. Activists, both black and white, endured harassment and violence from the police and others as the movement progressed. Eventually, the American civil rights movement brought about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and other measures. [1/2 definitions] |
| counterespionage |
espionage and other measures designed to frustrate enemy espionage. |
| cryometer |
a thermometer that measures very low temperatures by using alcohol instead of mercury. |
| dosimeter |
a portable instrument that measures amounts of radiation, such as gamma rays or x-rays, to which a person has been exposed. |
| electroencephalograph |
an instrument that measures and records electric activity in the brain. |
| Fathometer |
trademark for a sonar instrument that measures water depth. |
| galvanometer |
an instrument that detects and measures small electric currents. |
| gasometer |
a container that both holds and measures gas. [1/2 definitions] |
| Geiger counter |
an instrument that detects radiation by means of a gas that ionizes when in the presence of radioactive emanations, and that also measures it by a device that counts the electrical pulses emitted by the ionized gas. |
| goniometer |
an optical instrument that measures angles, esp. in crystals or other solids. [1/2 definitions] |
| heptameter |
a line or unit of verse consisting of seven metrical feet or measures. |
| hourglass |
an instrument that measures time by channeling a quantity of sand or mercury through a narrow opening between two larger glass bulbs in exactly one hour. [1/2 definitions] |
| humidistat |
a device, usu. on a humidifier or dehumidifier, that measures or regulates the relative humidity in the air. |
| indicator |
one of the various statistical measures that show the relative stability of an economic system. [1/3 definitions] |