thermometer
noun
ther·mom·e·ter
thər-ˈmä-mə-tər 
thə-ˈmä-mə-tər
plural thermometers
: an instrument for determining temperature
specifically
: one consisting of a sensor housed in a metal probe that registers a change in electrical resistance as a change in temperature
Examples of thermometer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the quiche for doneness of about 170°F.
—
Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2025
Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes (the skillets) to 1 hour (the square baking dishes), or until the top is brown from edge to edge and an instant-read thermometer in the center of the dressing reads 165°F.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2025
With no probe thermometer to measure temperature of foods, a reach-in cooler that measured 51 degrees, another that measured 62 degrees and a small cooler that measured 59 degrees, Stop Sales came down on food that was unsafely not even close to 41 degrees.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
The improvements in that technology transferred to the health industry, enabling smaller, less expensive infrared devices for a number of medical applications such as handheld ear thermometers used at home and sophisticated instruments used to detect cancers.
—Michele Raphael, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thermometer
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Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2025
Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes (the skillets) to 1 hour (the square baking dishes), or until the top is brown from edge to edge and an instant-read thermometer in the center of the dressing reads 165°F.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2025
With no probe thermometer to measure temperature of foods, a reach-in cooler that measured 51 degrees, another that measured 62 degrees and a small cooler that measured 59 degrees, Stop Sales came down on food that was unsafely not even close to 41 degrees.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
The improvements in that technology transferred to the health industry, enabling smaller, less expensive infrared devices for a number of medical applications such as handheld ear thermometers used at home and sophisticated instruments used to detect cancers.
—Michele Raphael, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thermometer
Cite this Entry
“Thermometer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thermometer. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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Medical Definition
thermometer
noun
ther·mom·e·ter
thə(r)-ˈmäm-ət-ər
: an instrument for determining temperature that usually consists either of a device providing a digital readout or of a glass bulb attached to a fine tube of glass with a numbered scale and containing a liquid (as mercury or colored alcohol) that is sealed in and rises and falls with changes of temperature
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