reaumur thermometer
Noun: A Reaumur thermometer is a specific type of alcohol thermometer that uses the Réaumur scale for temperature measurement. This scale, named after the French scientist René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur, defines the freezing point of water as 0°Ré and the boiling point of water as 80°Ré.
The term is used to describe the physical instrument itself. It is a historical and technical term. * The Reaumur thermometer on the old laboratory wall was more of a curiosity than a tool for modern experiments. * In his 18th-century notes, the scientist recorded the temperature as 20 degrees on his Reaumur thermometer.
- The term is primarily used in historical or scientific contexts discussing obsolete measurement systems. It is not commonly used in everyday modern language, where Celsius or Fahrenheit thermometers are standard.
- Réaumur scale (n): The temperature scale upon which this thermometer is based, ranging from 0°Ré (water freezes) to 80°Ré (water boils).
- Alcohol thermometer (n): The broader category of thermometers that use alcohol as the expanding fluid, which includes the Reaumur thermometer.
- Réaumur-scale thermometer: A more explicit synonym that emphasizes the scale of measurement.
As a compound noun, "Reaumur thermometer" has only one specific meaning: a thermometer calibrated to the Réaumur scale. It does not have other distinct definitions.
- an alcohol thermometer calibrated in degrees Reaumur