interferometer
noun
Forms interferometers
- noun (physics) Any of several instruments that use the interference of waves to determine wavelengths and wave velocities, determine refractive indices, measure small distances, temperature changes, stresses, and many other useful measurements.
Etymology
From interfer(e) + -o- + -meter.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An instrument for measuring small movements, distances, or displacements by means of the interference of two beams of light; --called also refractometer.
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “interferometer”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details