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hypsometer
Nov. 30th, 2018 07:53 amhypsometer (hip-SOM-i-ter) - n., an instrument for determining altitude by measuring the boiling point of water.
Which varies by atmospheric pressure, which varies by height. Also, an instrument for measuring by triangulation the height of something (such as a tree or building), but that's clearly not the cool old instrument that Randall was talking about. Coined in the 1850s from Greek root hýpsos, height. A diagram:
Thanks, WikiMedia!
And that wraps up this week's theme. Next week, I'm tangled up in a big on-site meeting and posting may be spotty. We'll see.
---L.
Which varies by atmospheric pressure, which varies by height. Also, an instrument for measuring by triangulation the height of something (such as a tree or building), but that's clearly not the cool old instrument that Randall was talking about. Coined in the 1850s from Greek root hýpsos, height. A diagram:
Thanks, WikiMedia!
And that wraps up this week's theme. Next week, I'm tangled up in a big on-site meeting and posting may be spotty. We'll see.
---L.
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