spectrometer

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   an instrument that separates radiation, particles, or signals into a spectrum and measures their intensity or abundance by wavelength, frequency, energy, or mass-to-charge ratio

   The mass spectrometer separated neon ions according to their mass-to-charge ratios.

Formed from spectro- + -meter, literally "spectrum measurer." Spectro- comes from Latin spectrum ("appearance, image"), from specere ("to look at"); -meter ultimately comes from Greek metron ("measure").

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