spirometer

spirometer

English

A spirometer

Etymology

From Latin spīro (“to breathe”) +‎ -meter.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /spʌɪˈɹɒm.ɪt.ə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /spaɪˈɹɑm.ət.ɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɒmɪtə(ɹ)

Noun

spirometer (plural spirometers)

1. (medicine) An instrument for measuring the air capacity of the lungs.
   • 2000, Michael Roberts, Michael Jonathan Reiss, Grace Monger, Advanced Biology, Nelson, page 170,

     In humans, a spirometer can be used to record and measure lung volumes and oxygen consumption (illustration 1).

   • 2002, H. Nancy Holmes (editorial director), Illustrated Manual of Nursing Practice, Wolters Kluwer Health (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins), 3rd Edition, page 154,

     While all spirometers encourage slow, sustained maximal inspiration, they can be divided into two types: flow incentive and volume incentive.

   • 2005, E. Eber, M. S. Zach, Spirometry: Volume-Time and Flow-Volume Curves, Jürg Hammer, Ernst Eber (editors), Paediatric Pulmonary Function Testing, Karger Publishers, page 95,

     Wet-type spirometers (such as the classical bell spirometer with a water seal) are simple and accurate but are no longer in use as they have a hygiene problem; they are distinguished from dry-type spirometers (e.g., bellows or piston spirometer).

Related terms

• spirometric
• spirometry

 

Translations

medical device

Catalan: espiròmetre m Czech: spirometr m Finnish: spirometri (fi) French: spiromètre (fr) m Galician: espirómetro m Greek: σπιρόμετρο (el) n (spirómetro) Italian: spirometro m Malay: spirometer Portuguese: espirómetro m (Portugal), espirômetro m (Brazil) Spanish: espirómetro m

See also

• pneumatometer

References

• “spirometer”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “spirometer”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Anagrams

• spirometre, temporiser